The New Mexico Sentencing Commission has published a report with estimates on the cost of housing four categories of felony arrestees in county detention facilities in New Mexico.
The commission entered into a contract with the New Mexico Association of Counties to conduct the study. The findings will be presented to the association at its midwinter conference tomorrow, Wednesday, Jan. 26, in Santa Fe.
The report, authored by Linda Freeman, M.A., and Paul Guerin, Ph.D., of the NMSC and University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research, estimates that the total annual cost of housing felony arrestees using actual facility cost in New Mexico county detention facilities is $25.4 million.
The report breaks out the cost into four felony categories:
* Sentenced to prison and waiting for transport to a state facility is $2.4 million.
* Probation and parole violators sentenced to a detention facility is almost $4.3 million.
* Sentenced to detention facility is almost $6.6 million.
* Unsentenced probation and parole violators is $12.1 million.
"The information in this report will be invaluable to legislators on the finance committees making appropriations decisions regarding the housing of felony arrestees in county detention facilities,” said Michael Hall, NMSC executive director.
Commission reports, printed directories and information are available to the public at http://www.nmsc.state.nm.us. The Web site receives more than 50,000 hits per month from those in New Mexico government and private citizens.
The NMSC consists of judges, cabinet members and other experts in the criminal justice field. The commission provides information, analysis, recommendations and assistance to the three branches of government and to interested citizens.
During the past 12 months, the commission, which includes the Sex Offender Management Board, has held more than 60 public meetings and has published numerous research reports on topics including sex offenders, DWI, methamphetamines and juvenile parole boards.
Contact: Laurie Mellas Ramirez, (505) 277-5915
Posted by scarr at January 25, 2005 05:35 PM