The Latest: Prosecutors air opposition to Nevada bill

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) - The Latest on a wide-ranging criminal justice reform bill in the Nevada Legislature (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

Prosecutors and law enforcement have voiced a myriad of concerns over a wide-ranging criminal justice reform bill that would soften penalties for certain crimes.

Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson spoke in opposition to the legislation at a bill hearing Friday and told lawmakers that “criminal justice reform should not sacrifice public safety.” Washoe County District Attorney Christopher Hicks also raised concerns with the legislation.

Opponents argue the bill will prevent habitual criminals from receiving harsher jail sentences and would conflict with a victim’s right to a timely disposition of the criminal case.

The legislative panel that heard the bill closed its meeting without a vote on the measure.

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10:10 a.m.

One Nevada lawmaker says a sprawling criminal justice reform bill is likely the “single most important and transformative” legislation on the topic in the Legislature’s history.

Democratic Assemblyman Steve Yeager told lawmakers at a bill hearing Friday morning that Nevada’s criminal justice system is failing women and is falling short as a whole because offenders continue to reoffend while taxpayers see an increasing cost.

He says the incarceration rate for women in Nevada is 43 percent higher than the U.S. average.

Yeager and state Supreme Court Justice James Hardesty walked through the various aspects of the bill to lawmakers. The bill would re-classify certain crimes, raise the monetary threshold for a felony theft charge and provide greater support to offenders re-entering society, among other measures.

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7:50 a.m.

Nevada lawmakers are preparing to hold a hearing on a contentious and wide-ranging criminal justice reform bill. The measure has pitted prosecutors against public defenders in a debate over the criminal justice system.

Supporters say the legislation seeks to lower recidivism rates, curb an expanding prison population and give Nevada a fresh approach to a dated criminal justice system by investing in efforts to help offenders re-enter society.

Prosecutors and law enforcement acknowledge the need for some reform. But they oppose the bill as written now, saying it would hurt public safety if it becomes law.

The bill reflects policy recommendations outlined in a legislative report released in January. It says Nevada’s imprisonment rate is 15 percent higher than the U.S. average.