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SPONSOR: |
HJC |
DATE TYPED: |
03/07/03 |
HB |
491/HJCS |
||
SHORT TITLE: |
Divert Children from a Life of Crime |
SB |
|
||||
|
ANALYST: |
Dunbar |
|||||
APPROPRIATION
Appropriation
Contained |
Estimated
Additional Impact |
Recurring or
Non-Rec |
Fund Affected |
||
FY03 |
FY04 |
FY03 |
FY04 |
|
|
|
$135.0 |
|
|
Recurring
|
GF |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Parenthesis
( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Responses
Received From
Department
of Health (DOH)
Health
Policy Commission (HPC)
NM
State Department of Education (NMSDE)
Human
Services Department (HSD)
Children
Juvenile Justice Council (CJJCC)
Office
of the Public Defender
Administrative
Office of the Courts (AOC)
Children
Youth and Families Department (CYFD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis
of Bill
The
House Judiciary Committee Substitute for HB 491 appropriates $135,000 to CYFD
for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005 to support the work of the task force.
The House Judiciary
Committee Substitute for House Bill 491 requires the Children, Youth and
Families Department (CYFD) to create a task force to study methods to divert
children from a life of crime. The task
force would include two representatives from State Department of Education
(SDE), a representative from the NM Municipal League, a representative from the
NM Association of Counties, one representative from Department of Health (DOH),
a representative from the Human Services Department, a designee appointed by
the supreme court, a representative from the maternal child health planning
council, a representative of the Public Defender Department, three public
members from interested child-oriented organizations, and a law enforcement
representative. The task force is instructed to examine programs providing
opportunities to divert children from a life of crime and make a preliminary
report to the legislative finance committee as well as the interim health and
human services committee by October 2003 and a final report by October 2004.
Significant Issues
The House
Judiciary Committee Substitute for House Bill 491 requires the collaboration
between different agencies trying to respond to issues of youth aggression and
violence. If enacted, the House
Judiciary Committee Substitute for House Bill 491 would require the task force
to examine programs that include pre- and postpartum home visits by
professional, training/therapy for parents regarding aggressive school-age
children, incentives for school completion (including cash) and monitoring and
supervising youth who have exhibited delinquent behavior. Most of these
recommendations were included in the 1996 Rand Report called “Diverting
Children from a Life of Crime.” This task force will provide the opportunity
for policy change to support families in all stages of development.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
The appropriation of
$135.0 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund. Any
unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY 05 shall revert
to the general fund.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
“While the causes of violence are highly complex
and multifaceted, a growing body of scientific knowledge demonstrates that
maltreatment during the nine months of fetal growth and the first twenty-four
months after birth often leads to violent older children and adults.” (Ghosts
From the Nursery – R. Karr-Morse, M.S. Wiley, 1997)
Adequate support and
attention during the early months assure that a child gets off to the best
possible start, therefore improving childhood outcomes. New Mexico has a variety of home visiting
programs, including the Family Infant Toddler program in Long Term Services
division, programs funded through Public health, and Early Head Start. However, there is currently no comprehensive
system of primary prevention home visiting services in New Mexico for families
who desire and need additional support. The House Judiciary Committee
Substitute for House Bill 491 would provide an opportunity to elaborate on the
trajectory of a criminal from birth to adult criminal life, pointing out the
critical times for intervention and prevention.
DOH
explains that effective home visiting programs can improve relationships
between parents and children, enhance child development and health, and teach
parents about the detrimental effects that exposure to violence has on the
developing vulnerable brains of infants & toddlers. Effective programs can also reduce prenatal
substance abuse, maternal smoking, and rates of child abuse, injuries, accidental
ingestions, and developmental delays. Effective home visiting programs decrease
costs for foster care, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and child protective
services.
HB
491 would require the task force to examine prevention and early intervention
programs such as home visiting, parenting support for aggressive children,
inducements to reduce the number of students who are in danger of dropping out
of high school, and monitoring of youth who have exhibited delinquent behavior.
These strategies come from a 1996 Rand Report called “Diverting Children from
Life of Crime”. The strategies
recommended in HB 491 are among the most cost-effective strategies suggested in
the report.
DOH
states that if enacted, the task force created by the House Judiciary Committee
Substitute for House Bill 491 will provide an opportunity to highlight the
mental health and substance abuse treatment needs of youth, including
developing integrated models for screening of first offenders in the juvenile
justice system for mental health and substance abuse issues and multi-systemic
therapy. National rates of mental
health problems among juvenile offenders range from 60% for conduct problems to
20-50% for depression, to 33% for post-traumatic stress disorders.
BD/prr