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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Swisstack

DATE TYPED 2/18/05 HM 26

SHORT TITLE Probation & Parole Officer Salary Increases

SB

ANALYST Peery

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 26 request Children, Youth and Families Department conduct a study of com-

parative salaries in surrounding states for juvenile probation officers and the New Mexico Cor-

rections Department conduct a study of comparative salaries in surrounding states for adult pro-

bation officers. The study is to report on caseload information, the rate of remuneration, em-

ployee benefits, working hours and conditions. Children, Youth and Families Department and

New Mexico Corrections Department will be required to report the findings to the appropriate

legislative interim committee by October 2005.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

CYFD reports the Memorial could result in improved juvenile probation officer retention allow-

ing for improved performance on established juvenile justice performance measures.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

CYFD states agencies involved in this study will absorb any costs associated with the research

House Memorial 26 -- Page 2

and reporting required by the Memorial.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Senate Bill 797 and 771 requests pay increases for NMCD probation and parole officers. House

Memorial 25 is a duplicate of the proposed legislation.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

NMCD states there appears to be no real need for the study. NMCD reports they pay on average

five to seven dollars less an hour than what is received by federal and Bernalillo county proba-

tion and parole officers, and the Department is losing its officers to those entities.

NMCD reports caseloads for probation and parole officers continue to increase, and are currently

between 90-134 offenders per officer. NMCD’s 2

nd

quarter key quarterly performance measure

for “number of regular caseloads of probation and parole officers” was 100. Their FY05 target

for this performance measure is 77. The national standard is only 65 offenders per officer. Ac-

cording to the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau statistics, New Mexico’s probation and parole

population growth in percent increase ranked number one in the nation from 1995-2002. NMCD

states based on current projections, it appears that the number of probation and parole clients will

increase by 12 percent by June 30, 2005.

RLP/yr