State prisoners now making hand sanitizer, agency says

Nevada prisoners have begun making hand sanitizer for medical personnel and law enforcement officials during the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Corrections announced on social media.

But alcohol-based hand sanitizer is considered contraband for the inmates who are making the product, officials have said.

The Department of Corrections announced April 4 on Facebook that the Silver State Industries hand sanitizer manufacturing program was “up and running” at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City. Silver State Industries is the program through which inmates maintain jobs in prison such as garment manufacturing, printing, mattress manufacturing, welding, horse training, automobile restoration and furniture manufacturing.

It appeared that the program was announced to the news media on Friday, but a news release was not available online as of Saturday afternoon.

Department spokesman Scott Kelley did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday. Officials from Silver State Industries also did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.

According to the Facebook post, prisoners are producing “thousands of bottles every day to help protect law enforcement and medical professionals throughout Nevada.”

It was unclear Saturday how many inmates are producing the hand sanitizer and what they are being paid.

In an emailed statement sent to the Review-Journal in March, Kelley said that alcohol-based hand sanitizer is “considered contraband and is not provided to inmates.” It was unclear Saturday if that policy had changed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Inmates are allowed to purchase Dial anti-bacterial soap and other approved products at the Commissary,” Kelley said in March. “With the warden’s approval, staff is allowed to have hand sanitizer in employee-only areas at NDOC facilities.”

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people use hand sanitizer that is at least 60 percent alcohol when soap and water is not available.

On Friday night, a group of Nevada defense attorneys filed a 38-page petition with the Nevada Supreme Court asking for justices to order Gov. Steve Sisolak and prison officials to release certain inmates to prevent spread of the virus. The petition requested the release of inmates who have been granted parole yet remain locked up; inmates with a high risk of serious harm from COVID-19 and expected to be released within 18 months; and any nonviolent offenders serving sentences set to expire in the next three years if they provide an approved parole plan.

In response to questions brought on by the petition, Kelley said that as of Saturday afternoon, five Department of Corrections employees had tested positive for coronavirus. All of the sick employees were sent home for 14 days of medical isolation, he said. No offenders had tested positive.

The department also suspended in-person visitations, and those being brought into the prison are being screened for symptoms of the coronavirus, officials have said.