Nevada State Prison
1999 aerial photo of the prison | |
| Location | 3301 E. 5th Street Carson City, Nevada 89702 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°09′37″N 119°44′15″W |
| Status | Permanently closed |
| Security class | High |
| Capacity | 841 |
| Population | 219 (as of September 2011) |
| Opened | 1862 |
| Closed | 2012 |
| Managed by | Nevada Department of Corrections |
| Warden | Gregory Smith |
Nevada State Prison (NSP) was a penitentiary located in Carson City. The prison was in continuous operation since its establishment in 1862 and was managed by the Nevada Department of Corrections. It was one of the oldest prisons still operating in the United States. The high security facility housed 219 inmates in September 2011. It was designed to hold 841 inmates and employed a staff of 211.
In the early 20th century, the prison became the sole designated facility for executions by the state of Nevada. It carried out the first death sentence by gas chamber in the United States with the execution of Gee Jon on February 8, 1924.
The state of Nevada chose to close the facility for budgetary reasons. The prison closed its doors on May 18, 2012, with all inmates transferred to other institutions or released.
Although the prison has closed, it was still designated as the site of executions for the State of Nevada, until the current execution chamber at Ely State Prison opened in 2016.