Santa Fe --- A coalition of eleven (11) community organizations have joined forces to advance community-centered public safety policies in New Mexico during the 2025 legislative session were set to urge the House Judiciary Committee today to focus on real solutions to crime rather than ineffective tough-on-crime policies before it was announced that no public comment would be allowed.
The comment that would have been shared with HJC follows:
“We are grateful for the work the legislature has done to address our concerns about the impact of the criminal competency proposals. We have done good work together to make this bill less harmful to our communities, and while we aren’t thrilled with it, we appreciate the collaborative approach taken during the interim.
However, we must share our disappointment that this bill, which is already not ideal, is being packaged up with proposals that are bad for communities and will not work. Evidence over decades has shown that the Tough on Crime approach only increases bad outcomes and makes some people feel better on the backs of our most vulnerable communities.
This so-called public safety package is not going to achieve actual safety; it will only create new crimes, lengthen sentences, and use the criminal legal system to force people into psychiatric facilities that have yet to be built.”
The House Judiciary Committee heard HB8, which is being disguised as a “public safety package” but instead of addressing root causes, it focuses on new crimes, increased punishments, and forced hospitalization. Central to the House’s public safety package are amendments to the criminal competency process.
“The Public Safety Coalition formed during the 2024 Special Session and was proud to partner with the Democratic Caucus to oppose harmful proposals from the governor’s office. Unfortunately, Caucus proposals being wrapped up into HB8 now depart starkly from those championed by these community voices,” says Lena Weber, Interim Director of Public Policy, ACLU-NM. “While the proposal makes significant improvements from the proposals of the 2024 special session, HB8 still relies principally on coerced care and forced hospitalization, which we know often exacerbate the very problems they seek to fix.”
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 rather than investments in incarceration and punishment.
The Public Safety Coalition Members are:
- NM Native Vote
- Equality New Mexico
- Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico
- ACLU
- Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless
- OLE New Mexico
- Enlace Comunitario
- Bold Futures NM
- New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness
- Center for Civic Policy
- New Mexico Eviction Prevention
