HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 5

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Stephanie Garcia Richard

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES TO CONVENE A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDER TREATMENT OR INTERVENTION PROGRAM TASK FORCE TO ANALYZE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFFENDER TREATMENT OR INTERVENTION PROGRAMS IN NEW MEXICO AND TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS.

     WHEREAS, the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention fund is established in the state treasury and fees are imposed on persons convicted of penalty assessment misdemeanors, traffic violations, petty misdemeanors, misdemeanors or felony offenses; and

     WHEREAS, balances in the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention fund are appropriated to the children, youth and families department to provide funds to domestic violence offender treatment or intervention programs to defray the cost of providing treatment or intervention to domestic violence offenders; and

     WHEREAS, Section 31-12-12 NMSA 1978 requires that funded programs meet certain criteria and provide certain types of services to court-ordered offenders; and

     WHEREAS, the children, youth and families department currently funds thirty-nine programs that serve hundreds of individuals; and

     WHEREAS, measuring the outcomes of these programs is subject to many factors outside the control of the programs; and

     WHEREAS, best practices are continually being identified, updated and studied;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the secretary of children, youth and families be requested to convene a domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force to work with the current domestic violence offender treatment or intervention programs to assess their operations, including curriculum, client assessment, qualifications of facilitators, data collection and other areas of operation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force be requested to examine the role of the courts and the adult probation and parole division of the corrections department in monitoring and enforcing treatment requirements and orders for offenders; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force be requested to review all current New Mexico laws, protocols and administrative rules pertaining to domestic violence; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force be requested to review current research and best practices from domestic violence offender treatment or intervention programs in New Mexico and other states; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include representatives from the New Mexico coalition against domestic violence; the children, youth and families department; the legislative finance committee; the administrative office of the courts; the corrections department, including its adult

probation and parole division; the New Mexico tribal-state judicial consortium; and offender treatment or intervention program providers and victim service providers; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force be requested to make recommendations on best practices, methods of data collection that measure short- and long-term offender outcomes and methods to ensure judicial monitoring and enforcement; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the domestic violence offender treatment or intervention program task force be requested to provide a comprehensive written report and present its findings to the interim legislative health and human services committee and the legislative finance committee by November 15, 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor, the legislative finance committee, the interim legislative health and human services committee and the secretary of children, youth and families.

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