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

SPONSOR Park

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/15/06

HM 54

SHORT TITLE Camino Nuevo Community Advisory Committee

SB

ANALYST Peery

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

NA

NA

NA

NA

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD

No Responses Received From

Commission on the Status of Women

Labor Department

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Memorial 54 requests the New Mexico Corrections Department create a Camino Nuevo

Community Advisory Committee to study strategies to provide gender-specific treatment to

women while at the Camino Nuevo correctional facility and to provide gender-specific transition

and reintegration services to women upon their release from the Camino Nuevo correctional fa-

cility. The proposed Senate Joint Memorial requests the Corrections Department appoint to the

committee two Corrections Department representatives, two representatives from the entity op-

erating the Camino Nuevo correctional facility, one representative from the New Mexico

Women’s Justice Project, one representative form the Labor Department, one clinical psycholo-

gist or licensed professional counselor, one licensed social worker, two representatives from

community providers with relevant experience related to gender-specific treatment, one repre-

sentative from the Commission on the Status of Women and three additional members of the

committee selected by a majority of the other members for the committee. Also, the proposed

House Memorial 54 – Page

2

Senate Joint Memorial requests the Corrections Department to report the committee’s findings to

the appropriate interim legislative committee by December 1, 2006.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The memorial calls for the New Mexico Corrections Department to create a Camino Nuevo

Community Advisory Committee; however, there is no appropriation to cover the cost of travel

for committee members to attend meetings.

NMCD states that if the committee’s findings lead to extensive changes to treatment, transition

services and/or reintegration services provided to the women who are discharged from Camino

Nuevo, this may increase the costs to the department to provide or have provided these services

while these women are on probation or parole.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH states the proposed legislation seeks to address the high rate of recidivism for women re-

leased from New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility. DOH states by addressing and im-

proving transition and reintegration treatment services to women, the Camino Nuevo facility will

not only be assisting these women, but will be helping to alleviate the social and economic bur-

den that high recidivism costs.

DOH states female offenders have distinct treatment needs and post-release characteristics,

which if not addressed appropriately will increase the likelihood of recidivism. DOH reports

studies have sown that when women are given appropriate tools and empowered to take charge

of their lives, they are more likely to become better citizens, parents and employees and are less

likely to fall back into old criminal patterns.

NMCD reports the department is already seeking assistance from the National Institute of Cor-

rections to develop gender-specific treatment and services for the women incarcerated in and re-

leased from the Camino Nuevo facility.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The New Mexico Corrections Department would be in charge of administration of the proposed

Camino Nuevo Community Advisory Committee. Staff, minimal office supplies and meeting

space would need to be provided by the Corrections Department.

NMCD reports the proposed memorial negatively impacts the department administratively since

it will require several employees to work to set up the advisory committee and to serve on the

advisory committee.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

The proposed memorial is a duplicate of Senate Joint Memorial 62.

RLP/mt