Nebraska inspector general’s report flags prison overcrowding, staffing shortages, lack of support programs
Annual report notes that AG’s 2023 opinion impacted OIG’s ability to access Nebraska prisons for about a year
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) - The Inspector General’s Office on corrections said in its annual report on Thursday that overcrowding remains a problem in Nebraska’s correctional facilities, and recommended the Legislature get involved.
In the report, the Office of Inspector General of the Nebraska Correctional System points out the following issues that “merit special attention”:
- State correctional facilities are still “significantly overcrowded”
- Staffing shortages, particularly at the state’s largest correctional facilities
- Reduced restrictive housing while expanding high-security, noting particular impacts on mental health units
- Indefinite suspension of clinical treatment programs to help curb violence and aggression
- Overrepresentation of Native American women and Black men
- Challenges of an aging prison population
- Continued focus on re-entry success
- No standard measure of recidivism
The report also flagged previous OIG reports that had been issued in the past year: on use of force involving a mentally ill inmate, NDCS drug-testing practices, and inmate deaths — particularly by suicides and natural causes.
In turn, the office recommended the Nebraska Legislature take the following actions:
- Establish a corrections population forecasting tool in order to facilitate better planning
- Conduct a legislative audit or fund an outside study on NDCS use of “good time” sentence reductions
- Examine recidivism measures
- Expand parole reporting requirements
- Fund construction of additional classrooms and spaces at the McCook work camp and York women’s correctional centers
- Look into expanding re-entry programs and services
- Consider additional testing to help identify suspected drug contraband
- Examine the statuatory reporting requirements at the McCook work camp
Additionally, Doug Koebernick, the Nebraska Inspector General of Corrections, said in a letter accompanying the report that the past year had been one of the most challenging for the office, laying the blame on Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, who issued an opinion in August 2023 questioning the “constitutionality” of the OIG’s powers.
“Despite the resulting disruption of our office’s access to facilities, people and information related to our work, the OIG continued to gather information and learn of incidents and issues within the correctional system through other means, including increased telephone and written contacts with the incarcerated population,” he said in the letter.
According to the report, the OIG was unable to visit correctional facilities between July 2023 and July 2024; but did make about 40 visits since February.
Read the OIG’s report
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