Prison's True Grit program wins award

The program for senior citizen inmates at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center has won an award.

Program Administrator Mary Harrison will travel to New York City in October to accept the first Dr. Mary Ann Quaranta Elder Justice Award at Fordham University.

Dr. Quaranta was the founder of Fordham's Ravazzin Center on Aging.

A spokesman said True Grit, which serves 135 male inmates at NNCC and 38 females at the women's prison in North Las Vegas, was selected for the first award because of its unique approach to the problems of aging behind bars.

True Grit serves inmates over 60 in a structured living situation that Harrison said targets not only their physical but mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. It operates with no additional cost to taxpayers, using volunteers and community donations.