SENATE MEMORIAL 86

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Richard C. Martinez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT AT REGULAR INTERVALS TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERIM COMMITTEE EXAMINING CRIMINAL JUSTICE MATTERS IN THE 2014 LEGISLATIVE INTERIM.

     WHEREAS, in the 2013 legislative interim, the legislative finance committee and the Pew research center briefed the courts, corrections and justice committee on the results first initiative; and

     WHEREAS, the courts, corrections and justice committee also heard a presentation from right on crime, a conservative organization pushing for reform of the nation's criminal justice system; and

     WHEREAS, these presentations dovetailed with each other, creating a bipartisan consensus to examine New Mexico's criminal justice system with an eye toward reforming what might need reforming and using evidence-based analysis to analyze programs utilized by the state's criminal justice system, in order to create a criminal justice system that best serves the people of New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the Criminal Code in New Mexico's statutes has many sections that are outdated, that, in some cases, seem to conflict and that, due to piecemeal amendments over the years, are often confusing; and

     WHEREAS, many statutes criminalizing conduct are not included in the Criminal Code; and

     WHEREAS, there is a recognized need that criminal penalties in statute should be examined to ensure that there is a proper balancing of penalties; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislative council approved the formation of the criminal justice reform subcommittee of the courts, corrections and justice committee at the end of the 2013 interim; and

     WHEREAS, the criminal justice reform subcommittee met in November and December 2013 to hear briefings on the New Mexico criminal justice system and on successful criminal justice reform efforts in South Dakota and Texas; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislative council has approved the criminal justice reform subcommittee to reconvene in April 2014, two months prior to the normal time for interim committees to meet, in order that the subcommittee might have adequate time to work on a package of criminal justice reform legislation;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the criminal justice reform subcommittee be requested to report to the appropriate interim committee examining criminal justice matters when that committee reconvenes in June 2014; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the subcommittee also report to the appropriate interim committee examining criminal justice matters in October 2014 with proposed legislation for the 2015 legislative session so that the committee can have adequate time to consider such legislation for endorsement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico legislative council and to the chair of the appropriate interim committee examining criminal justice matters.

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