HORENDO REVOLVER JR. / PVT County Sheriff Hold DaMayo reacts to the fencing of Pahrump into a valley-wide detention center. HORENDO REVOLVER JR. / PVT The Pahrump Valley Blimps announced plans to join the United Football League in 2010, using its team blimp ... er, mascot ... to draw attention to the media conference. Advertisement

Correctional Conglomerate Consolidated of America announced today it has decided to enclose all of Pahrump in one large, federal detention center.

Crews will begin laying fence around the outskirts of town soon.

Eloise Graham, spokesperson for CCCA, said the change will solve several problems. Among other things, residents around East Mesquite won't complain they are being singled out.

Since opponents are already calling Pahrump a "prison town," that moniker might stick better with a community-wide detention center.

The federal Fish and Wildlife Commission applauded the move.

"That will let the desert tortoise roam free and migrate to other parts of Pahrump instead of just a 120-acre property," said Rob Stevens, state director of the FWC.

County Sheriff Hold DaMayo said the valley-wide detention center also makes sense.

"Since about one-third of Pahrump's population consists of convicted felons, people on probation or parole, the detainees would fit right in with the community," DaMayo said. "Anyone who escapes from the detention center would merely walk down to the nearest meth lab and pick up where they left off."

The inmates could be put to work reconstructing the Calvada Eye or other community projects, the sheriff said.

An official with a social service agency said there's already enough people standing in line waiting for commodity giveaways in Pahrump they could simply turn them into commissaries for the prisoners.

Donna Socks, leader of Unconcerned Citizens for a Dangerous Community, didn't seem too concerned about the change.

"Let them bring the inmates, I don't care. That's why we're called Unconcerned Citizens. We'd rather sit home and watch soap operas than bother going down to the county commission meeting," Socks said.

Since Pahrump is already seen as one big institution by some people, the valley-wide detention center would make sense, she said.

"We have enough gun-toting people in Pahrump to keep inmates in line," said Roy Fallow, a local militia member.

The extensive fence-building project could qualify for President Obama's economic stimulus package, as its "shovel ready" proponents said.

The increase in population would enable Pahrump to receive more federal funding as well, proponents said.