Nevada's Department of Corrections (NDOC) provides medical, dental, and clinical mental health care through its Medical Division, with infirmaries or clinics at all NDOC institutions and a Regional Medical Facility (RMF) at Northern Nevada Correctional Center providing inpatient mental health care for the most acute cases.
Nevada made a significant legislative step in 2023: Senate Bill 307, signed by Governor Joe Lombardo and effective January 1, 2024, restricts solitary confinement across Nevada prisons. The bill caps consecutive solitary confinement at 15 days, after which a multidisciplinary treatment team -- including a mental health clinician -- must conduct a review. The NDOC director set a long-term goal of abolishing solitary confinement permanently in Nevada.
NDOC also faces a documented mental health staffing challenge. As of February 2024, the NDOC director reported a high vacancy rate for mental health positions and set a goal of dropping that rate to 10% by the 2025 legislative session.
Nevada does not have active federal court oversight of NDOC mental health care.
What Nevada Prisoners Are Entitled To
Under Estelle v. Gamble (1976), Nevada statutes, and SB 307:
- Mental health screening at intake.
- Clinical mental health care at all NDOC facilities through infirmaries or clinics.
- Inpatient mental health care at the Regional Medical Facility (RMF) when warranted.
- Mental health extended care at High Desert State Prison.
- Under SB 307: solitary confinement limited to 15 consecutive days; after 15 days, a multidisciplinary team including a mental health clinician must review placement.
- Prisoners cannot be placed in solitary within 90 days of their release from prison.
- NDOC must use the "least restrictive manner" when separating prisoners from general population, for the "shortest period safely possible."
Mental Health Screening at Intake
NDOC screens all incoming prisoners as part of the intake process, including mental health assessment. The screening identifies mental health histories, current diagnoses, and active psychiatric medications and drives placement and care assignment.
If your person has a psychiatric history, provide documentation at intake -- prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications -- to support accurate initial assessment.
The Medical Division and Mental Health Care Structure
NDOC's Medical Division is responsible for providing medical care -- including mental health care -- to all incarcerated people in Nevada correctional facilities. The mission is to provide "quality, constitutionally mandated health care using an efficient system of managed care that is professional, humane, and appropriate."
Mental health care is provided at three levels:
Systemwide: Infirmaries or clinics at all NDOC institutions provide mental health access for the general prison population. Mental health counselors, psychologists, and social workers in the Programs Division provide clinical mental health services at facilities statewide.
Mental health extended care: High Desert State Prison (Henderson, Clark County) provides mental health extended care for prisoners requiring a higher level of mental health support than general facility services provide.
Inpatient mental health care: The Regional Medical Facility (RMF) at Northern Nevada Correctional Center (Carson City) provides the highest level of mental health care within the NDOC system.
The Regional Medical Facility (RMF)
The Regional Medical Facility (RMF) is integrated into the operation and perimeter of the Northern Nevada Correctional Center (NNCC) in Carson City. It is the major medical facility for NDOC and provides:
- Inpatient medical care for serious medical conditions.
- Surgical aftercare.
- Inpatient mental health care.
- A structured living unit for mental health patients after discharge from inpatient services.
- Long-term care for fragile, aging, and disabled inmates.
The inpatient mental health care and structured living unit at RMF represent the most intensive mental health resources available within the NDOC system. Prisoners who require hospital-level inpatient psychiatric care are transferred to the RMF.
Nevada SB 307: Solitary Confinement Reform
Senate Bill 307 (signed June 2023, effective January 1, 2024) is Nevada's most significant recent mental health-related corrections reform. The bill was sponsored by Democratic State Senator Pat Spearman, who explicitly framed it as a mental health protection: "This type of segregation for prisoners is especially detrimental for those with mental illnesses... we are also virtually ensuring their mental health will suffer from this treatment."
Key SB 307 provisions:
15-day cap: Prisoners may only be held in solitary confinement for a maximum of 15 consecutive days.
Multidisciplinary review after 15 days: After 15 consecutive days, a multidisciplinary treatment team -- which must include a mental health clinician -- must conduct a review to determine where to place the inmate. Within 24 hours of the 15-day mark, if NDOC deems continued separation necessary for safety, the multidisciplinary team convenes.
Least restrictive manner: NDOC must implement the "least restrictive manner" when separating inmates from the general population.
Shortest period: Separation must be for the "shortest period of time safely as possible."
Pre-release protection: Prisoners cannot be placed in solitary confinement within 90 days of their release from prison.
As of February 2024, the co-chair of the legislative committee monitoring implementation confirmed that all "legal standards outlined in SB 307 have been met" and that people are no longer spending more than 22 hours a day in their cell. The multidisciplinary review after 15 days was confirmed to be occurring.
The NDOC director stated that the long-term goal is to "abolish solitary confinement permanently in the state of Nevada," while acknowledging that NDOC still uses forms of "segregation" for discipline or safety concerns.
Advocacy note: Reform advocates described SB 307 as "a phenomenal bill that made historical strides" while noting that enforcement monitoring continues and that facility lockdowns and other separation methods need ongoing scrutiny.
The Mental Health Staffing Challenge
NDOC has publicly acknowledged a high vacancy rate for mental health professionals at its facilities. As of February 2024, the NDOC director set a goal of dropping the vacancy rate to 10% by the start of the 2025 Legislative Session. The extent to which that goal was met should be confirmed at publish.
A prior Vera Institute of Justice study (2019) found that around 12% of Nevada inmates -- including some with serious mental illnesses -- were in solitary confinement, which was described as high relative to other states. SB 307 was designed to address this in part, but enforcement of the 15-day cap and multidisciplinary review requirement depends on adequate mental health staffing.
Nevada's Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) within DHHS oversees the state's behavioral health system. For NDOC prisoners approaching release, DPBH's network of regional mental health services providers is the primary community mental health connection. Nevada has a network of mental health clinics, crisis stabilization centers, and outpatient services across its counties and regions.
For prisoners approaching release with mental health needs, ask the NDOC Programs Division staff what community mental health resources have been identified in the area where they will be released and whether Medicaid enrollment has been initiated.
Women's Behavioral Health Services (AB 292)
Assembly Bill 292 (2023) expanded medical and behavioral health services for women in Nevada prisons. This includes expanded health services and provisions relevant to the behavioral health of incarcerated women. The full implementation of AB 292 was still in progress as of early 2024.
What Families Can Do
If your person is in NDOC custody and has a mental illness:
Provide psychiatric history at intake. Supply documentation of prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications to support accurate initial mental health assessment and care assignment.
Know the three levels of NDOC mental health care. Ask whether your person is receiving mental health services at their facility's clinic, whether they have been referred to mental health extended care at High Desert State Prison, or whether they need inpatient mental health care at the RMF at Northern Nevada Correctional Center.
Know SB 307. If your person is in or being placed in solitary confinement, SB 307 (effective January 1, 2024) limits consecutive solitary confinement to 15 days. After 15 days, a multidisciplinary team including a mental health clinician must review the placement. Your person cannot be placed in solitary within 90 days of release. If these requirements are not being followed, document the violation and file a grievance.
Know the 90-day pre-release protection. If your person is within 90 days of release, SB 307 prohibits placing them in solitary confinement.
Ask about the staffing situation. Given NDOC's documented mental health vacancy rate, ask how frequently your person is receiving mental health contacts and document any gaps.
Ask about reentry planning. Ask what community mental health resources have been identified in the area where your person will be released, whether DPBH services have been connected, and whether Medicaid enrollment has been initiated.
File a grievance. NDOC has an administrative complaint process. File formal grievances for: failure to conduct mental health screening, denial of clinical mental health care, failure to follow SB 307 requirements (15-day cap, multidisciplinary review, 90-day pre-release protection), medication interruption, and failure to initiate reentry mental health planning.
Contact Disability Rights Nevada. DRN (disabilityrightsnevada.org) is the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy organization for Nevada and monitors conditions for people with mental illness and disabilities in NDOC facilities.
Seek legal help. If your person has serious mental illness and is not receiving adequate mental health care, if SB 307 requirements are being violated, or if the pre-release solitary prohibition is not being honored, consult a prisoner rights attorney with experience in Nevada's federal courts (District of Nevada).
Frequently asked questions
How does Nevada screen prisoners for mental illness?
NDOC screens all incoming prisoners as part of the intake process, including mental health assessment conducted by Medical Division clinical staff. Screening identifies mental health histories, current diagnoses, and active psychiatric medications, driving placement and care assignment. Provide psychiatric documentation at intake -- prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, and active medications.
What mental health facilities does NDOC operate?
NDOC operates three levels of mental health care: (1) infirmaries or clinics at all NDOC institutions providing systemwide clinical mental health access; (2) mental health extended care at High Desert State Prison (Henderson) for prisoners needing more intensive support than general facility services provide; and (3) inpatient mental health care at the Regional Medical Facility (RMF) at Northern Nevada Correctional Center (Carson City) for the most acute cases.
What is the Regional Medical Facility mental health unit?
The Regional Medical Facility (RMF) at Northern Nevada Correctional Center (Carson City) is NDOC's major medical facility, providing inpatient mental health care, a structured living unit for mental health patients after discharge from inpatient services, inpatient medical care for serious conditions, surgical aftercare, and long-term care for fragile, aging, and disabled inmates. It is the highest level of mental health care available within the NDOC system.
What is Nevada SB 307 on solitary confinement?
Senate Bill 307 (signed June 2023, effective January 1, 2024) is Nevada's landmark solitary confinement reform. The law requires NDOC to use the "least restrictive manner" when separating prisoners from general population, for the "shortest period safely possible." It caps consecutive solitary confinement at 15 days, requires a multidisciplinary team including a mental health clinician to conduct a review after 15 days, and prohibits placing prisoners in solitary within 90 days of release.
What does SB 307 require for mental health review?
Under SB 307, after a prisoner has been in solitary confinement for 15 consecutive days, a multidisciplinary treatment team -- which must include a mental health clinician -- must conduct a review to determine where to place the inmate. If NDOC deems continued separation necessary for safety, the review team must convene within 24 hours of the 15-day mark. This requirement was confirmed to be occurring as of February 2024.
What mental health services does NDOC provide systemwide?
NDOC's Medical Division provides clinical mental health care through infirmaries or clinics at all NDOC institutions. The Programs Division professional staff includes mental health counselors, psychologists, and social workers providing clinical mental health services. Services include crisis intervention, individual and group counseling, psychiatric medication management, and structured mental health programming. At the system level, inpatient care is available at the RMF and extended care is available at High Desert State Prison.
Does Nevada have a mental health staffing shortage?
Yes, NDOC has publicly acknowledged a high vacancy rate for mental health professionals. As of February 2024, the NDOC director set a goal of dropping the vacancy rate to 10% by the 2025 Legislative Session. Given NDOC's documented staffing shortage, ask specifically how frequently your person is receiving mental health contacts. A 2019 Vera Institute study found that approximately 12% of Nevada inmates -- including some with serious mental illness -- were in solitary confinement, which was high relative to other states; SB 307 was designed in part to address this.
How does Nevada handle mental health care at release?
NDOC Programs Division staff coordinate reentry planning including mental health connections to the community. Nevada's Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) operates the community behavioral health network. For prisoners approaching release with mental health needs, ask what DPBH or community mental health resources have been identified in the release area and whether Medicaid enrollment has been initiated. Under SB 307, prisoners cannot be placed in solitary confinement within 90 days of release, providing a protected transition period.
What can families do if mental health care is denied in NV?
Provide psychiatric documentation at intake. Know the three levels of NDOC mental health care -- ask whether an RMF or High Desert State Prison referral has been considered. Know SB 307: 15-day solitary cap, multidisciplinary mental health review, 90-day pre-release protection. Document any SB 307 violations. Given the staffing vacancy rate, document mental health contact frequency. File NDOC grievances for care denials, SB 307 violations, medication interruptions, and reentry planning failures. Contact Disability Rights Nevada (disabilityrightsnevada.org) for legal advocacy.
Who oversees mental health care in Nevada prisons?
NDOC's Medical Division manages mental health care with infirmaries or clinics at all facilities. The Programs Division provides clinical mental health professionals. No federal court actively exercises oversight of NDOC mental health. Disability Rights Nevada (DRN, disabilityrightsnevada.org) is the federally mandated P&A organization monitoring conditions for people with mental illness and disabilities in NDOC. The Nevada Legislature's Joint Interim Standing Judiciary Committee monitors implementation of reforms including SB 307. ---
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