by Bob Walsh
The New Mexico prison system will, in its current configuration, hold 7,124 men. (That is two medium size prisons in CA.) The current prediction is that in five to six years they will max out. It is anticipated the women's prison will max out about the same time. They currently have space for 850 female prisoners.
The NM prison population has risen steadily over the last decade while many states prison population has gone down. (That does not mean the crime has gone down. Merely that these states, like California, simply don't lock criminals up.)
The head of the DOC says their system overall is about $300 million behind in deferred maintenance and most of the buildings are well beyond their useful service life.
Most people who can read and follow news will remember a horrid prison riot in New Mexico in 1980 where they lost control of a prison for several days. The causes were serious overpopulation and grotesque understaffing with poorly trained and very badly paid staff. The only people who worked there were those who could not get regular work picking lettuce.
The NM legislature seems so far to be unwilling to even consider any significant spending on prison facilities. If this continues they may again be bit on the ass, big time.
1 comment:
Ideally, prisons should be placed in remote locations. One big unit surrounded by desert or swamp. No towers. Just one road leading in or out with a manned gate. Prison employees would live in a compound near the facility. Good trackers and dogs. This could easily be done in NM.
"What we have here is a failure to communicate." Cool Hand Luke.
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