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

SPONSOR Chasey

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/30/07

HB 527

SHORT TITLE Gender-Specific Correctional Training Program

SB

ANALYST Peery-Galon

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NA

$50.0 Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

Responses Received From

Commission on the Status of Women

Department of Health (DOH)

New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD)

Public Defender Department (PDD)

New Mexico Sentencing Commission (NMSC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 527 appropriates $50.0 from the general fund to the New Mexico Sentencing Com-

mission to study gender-specific probation and parole models, to survey existing probationer and

parolees on the effectiveness of current probation and parole programs and on their ability to re-

enter society, to share results of the survey with the Courts, Corrections and Justice Subcommit-

tee, and to make recommendations on implementing best practices in New Mexico.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50.0 contained in this bill is a non-recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2008 shall revert

to the general fund.

NMSC states the commission believes the appropriated amount in the proposed legislation is suf-

ficient to properly conduct and publish the study.

House Bill 527 – Page

2

NMCD notes there is no appropriation in the bill for the department to cover any increased costs

associated with ultimately providing gender-based programs to probationers and parolees.

NMCD states it is difficult to predict whether or not gender-based programming will be more or

less expensive than current probation and parole programming.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMSC report over the past several years the NM Corrections Department has reported an in-

crease in its female population. The rate of females incarcerations increased by approximately 8

percent in 2005 while the male population increased by less than half that rate. In 2005, the

overall growth of offenders under community supervision increased by 10 percent, while the

number of female probationers and parolees increased by 14 percent.

DOH reports gender-specific programming refers to services developed and/or targeted to either

males or females. DOH states in the 1990s, a trend to develop programs for girls gained momen-

tum as girls accounted for an increasing proportion of the youths entering the juvenile justice

system and because most juvenile justice programs were developed to serve boys.

NMCD notes that one of the duties of Value Options is to evaluate each provider’s system to

help determine the best practices for gender-specific programming.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

NMSC states the gender-specific probation and parole models study would comprise of one of

11 research projects towards meeting the commission’s performance measure target.

NMCD states that gender-specific programming may ultimately lead to better programming for

female offenders. This could lower recidivism rates as well as the number of probation/parole

violations committed by the female offenders receiving gender-specific programming. NMCD

reports the department is hopeful that the recommendations that the NM Sentencing Commission

makes to the Legislature about gender-specific programming will be seriously considered.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMSC states the commission believes it can complete the study in a timely fashion provided it

receives the funding in the proposed legislation. NMSC reports the commission will have to

limit its scope of work to the funding level.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

DOH notes the proposed legislation has a relationship to House Bill 526, which appropriates

$50,000 to the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women to develop best practices and

curriculum and training for personnel on gender-specific programs for girls and women in public

and private correctional facilities.

RPG/sb