Recently, the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas has come under fire for reviews left on the popular user review site Yelp. Some of the reviews of the Clark County Detention Center were comical, while others were much more serious in tone.
The biggest complaint of the largest detention center in Clark County found on Yelp centered on the cuisine served within the walls of the prison. One female inmate that was interviewed by Fox 5 News in Las Vegas stated “The only thing edible is the dessert.” The Yelp reviews have caught the eye of some of the law enforcement officials who man the Clark County Detention Center, such as Sgt. John Sheahan, who Fox 5 also asked about the comments. He said “People need to remember you’re eating three square meals a day…” The reviews on Yelp haven’t deterred center officials from carrying on business as usual, and have no intention of changing the day to day operations of the facility.
Sgt. Sheahan also added that “You get your clothes provided to you for free. You get to walk around in slippers all day for free, and you get to network and meet new and interesting people while you’re there.” After all, jail time isn’t supposed to be a 5-star experience like a hotel on the strip. Citizens that find themselves as visitors of the publicly funded detention center need to remember this is punishment, not a day vacation.
The Clark County Detention Center for it’s part, received an average rating of two out of five stars possible. One of the funnier quotes from the review site stated that the facility “…smelled like shame and fritos.” Prisoners get their meals, clothes, etc. while being held in the facility for free. What is surprising, is that the jail is even on the Yelp review list, as the site is normally reserved for reviews of what is supposed to be enjoyable experiences such as restaurants, hotels, airlines, and other user-friendly services. It is unknown whether the biggest jail in Las Vegas is the first or only facility to appear on the online review website.