The New Mexico Parole Board has the authority to grant, deny, and revoke parole and set conditions for release. It must be equipped to make fair, evidence-based public safety decisions. This bill would improve the parole process for the people appearing before the parole board, for crime victims, and for the community at large.
Our parole criteria are outdated.
New Mexico's parole board factors haven't been amended since 1980. Proposed reforms would require the board to evaluate how individuals have worked toward their own rehabilitation while in prison, ensuring decisions are based on meaningful evidence rather than outdated considerations.
Board independence is crucial but unprotected.
The governor currently has unfettered discretion to remove parole board members. The bill protects board members from removal in the absence of malfeasance and creates a clear process for removal.
Ensure considerate scheduling of parole hearings.
Parole hearings often align with the anniversary of the offense, placing unnecessary emotional strain on those affected by the crime. In cases involving loss of life, the bill would require avoiding scheduling on the victim's birth or death date.
Board members lack clear compensation guidelines.
Though board members receive compensation for conducting hearings, the law doesn't explicitly authorize this. The bill would clarify compensation rules for time spent during hearings.
Evidence-based modernization works.
Following successful examples of other states and professional recommendations, modernizing New Mexico's parole system would improve outcomes for people in prison, crime victims, and public safety.
