Nellis Prison Camp was a United States federal minimum-security prison, also known as a Federal Prison Camp (FPC), located on Nellis Air Force Base in the state of Nevada.[1] The camp was operational between 1989 and 2006.[2] Notable former inmates include Peter Bacanovic who was convicted along with Martha Stewart of various crimes in the ImClone scandal, and Larry Jay Levine founder of Wall Street Prison Consultants.
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The prison opened in 1991 to provide a labor force for the air force base.[3]
After 9/11, security at Nellis was beefed up considerably. The government did not want federal prisoners and their visitors in such a secure area and the prison was closed in 2006.
Inmates, who dress in tan shirts and pants, may participate in a work program on Nellis AFB. The inmates typically perform janitorial services, cleaning floors, restrooms, and emptying trash from office buildings around the base. They also perform groundskeeping, and clean the base bowling alley. Each workcenter that uses inmate labor must assign an NCO or officer to monitor and direct the work throughout the day. These monitors receive a card after training (a video and lecture given by the correctional officers). The card authorizes monitors to transport the prisoners with them each morning (most weekdays) to their workcenters. Inmates are not allowed to leave the base to perform work. Inmates often say the work relieves the boredom they would otherwise face at the prison camp. The program saves taxpayers money that would otherwise be spent on contracted services or longer/less productive work hours by military personnel.