All New Mexicans deserve to feel safe at home and in their communities. We need real solutions to New Mexicans’ concerns about community safety – but the same “tough on crime” approach that has failed our state for years won’t offer those. Instead of continuing the failed “tough on crime” approach, we need bold policies in areas like housing, mental healthcare, and substance use that prevent crime, to begin with.
The U.S.A. leads in mass incarceration.
The United States has the highest incarceration rate of any independent democracy in the world; only El Salvador, Cuba, and Rwanda incarcerate a greater share of their population. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, New Mexico’s incarceration rate exceeds the national average.
Incarceration harms individuals and communities.
Even short-term incarceration is disruptive and traumatic and hinders public safety. Upon returning to their communities, people face barriers to housing, employment, and professional licenses and are nine times more likely to experience homelessness. Families lose financial providers, children lose caregivers, workplaces lose employees, and communities lose neighbors.
Incarceration can make recidivism more likely.
Numerous studies show longer sentences don’t deter crime and can increase someone’s likelihood of re-offending.
Communities want prevention.
Polling by the National ACLU shows that people across the country favor addressing root causes of crime over punitive policies. Additionally, a recent poll revealed that an overwhelming majority of New Mexicans (79%) believe the state should prioritize preventative measures to address public safety and homelessness, including investments in education, healthcare, and housing. Proactive solutions consistently outperform “tough” reactive narratives based on fear in polling.
New Mexicans deserve real solutions.
The safest communities aren’t the ones with the biggest prisons; they have safe housing, quality healthcare, good education, and well-paying jobs. The New Mexico legislature must prioritize proven solutions over failed “tough on crime” policies that do more harm than good.
