44th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2000

RELATING TO THE PUBLIC PEACE, HEALTH AND SAFETY; MAKING APPROPRIATIONS TO THE CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT TO OPERATE AND STAFF THE PENITENTIARY OF NEW MEXICO SOUTH FOR USE AS A CLOSE-CUSTODY CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, TO INCREASE STAFFING LEVELS, TO UPGRADE THE INMATE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM AND THE CRIMINAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM AND TO CONTRACT FOR CORRECTIONAL EXPERTS TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE INDEPENDENT BOARD OF INQUIRY; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--

A. The following amounts are appropriated from the general fund to the corrections department for expenditure in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 for the following purposes:

(1) five million two hundred thousand dollars ($5,200,000) to operate the penitentiary of New Mexico south for use as a close-custody facility and to provide salaries and benefits for one hundred seventy full-time employees for the operation of that facility beginning on July 1, 2000;

(2) fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) to perform an inmate classification study and to implement changes to the inmate classification system;

(3) one hundred seventy thousand dollars ($170,000) to provide salaries and benefits for three additional full-time employees to support the criminal management information system;

(4) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to create an inmate gang management module in the criminal management information system;

(5) seven hundred sixty-four thousand dollars ($764,000) to provide salaries and benefits for twenty-two additional full-time employees to serve as additional security threat group staff;

(6) two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) to provide salaries and benefits for three additional full-time employees to serve as contract compliance auditing staff; and

(7) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to contract for correctional experts to monitor implementation of the recommendations set forth in "The Consultants' Report on Prison Operations in New Mexico Correctional Institutions", dated January 14, 2000. The correctional experts shall make themselves available to report, as necessary, to the corrections department, the New Mexico legislative council and the office of the attorney general.

B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2001 shall revert to the general fund.

Section 2. EMERGENCY.--It is necessary for the public peace, health and safety that this act take effect immediately.