The Nevada Department of Corrections is currently searching for an inmate who absconded from the Jean Conservation Camp near Las Vegas. In a statement obtained by News 3 LV, officials detailed that 69-year-old Joan Wenger, described as a minimum security offender, was not present over the weekend, with her disappearance noted on Saturday, September 14.
Standing 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 135 pounds, Wengers has green eyes and grey hair, as described by authorities. Convicted of vehicular homicide, she was relocated on December 1, 2021, from Douglas County, carrying out a 10-year sentence. She was classified as a walkaway rather than an escapee, given that she did not circumvent any secured perimeter but presumably took the opportunity to depart unhindered from the camp or work assignment, as per the details provided by the NDOC and echoed by KTNV.
The Jean Conservation Camp, established in 1988 and located 20 miles south of Las Vegas, houses up to 240 low-risk female offenders. These women work on conservation projects, fight fires, and clean highways, often in partnership with the Nevada Division of Forestry and the Department of Transportation.
The criteria for inmates at this minimum security facility are based on a limited potential for disruption or low risk of escape, likely release within a three-year timeframe, and satisfactory behavioral track records. DUI offenders, holding no other offenses, are to be considered for the program, and exempt from the three-year requirement, states KTNV. Information regarding the walkabout inmate should be directed immediately to 911.
