HOUSE BILL 220
56th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2024
INTRODUCED BY
Elizabeth "Liz" Thomson
AN ACT
RELATING TO CORRECTIONS; PROVIDING THAT YOUTH REFERRED BY THE CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES DEPARTMENT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE JUVENILE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS GRANT FUND.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 33-9A-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 101, Section 41, as amended) is amended to read:
"33-9A-3. JUVENILE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS GRANT FUND CREATED--PURPOSE--ADMINISTRATION--REPORT.--
A. There is created in the state treasury the "juvenile community corrections grant fund" to be administered by the department. All balances in the fund are appropriated to the department to carry out the purposes of the fund, and no money shall be transferred to another fund or be encumbered or disbursed in any manner except as provided in the Juvenile Community Corrections Act. Disbursements from the fund shall be made only upon warrant drawn by the secretary of finance and administration pursuant to vouchers signed by the secretary of children, youth and families.
B. Money in the fund shall be used by the department to make grants to counties, municipalities or private organizations, individually or jointly, to provide community corrections programs and services for the diversion of adjudicated delinquents or youth referred by the department to community-based settings. No grant shall be made to a private organization that is not a nonprofit organization without the approval of the secretary. The department may also use money in the fund to contract directly for or operate juvenile community corrections programs.
C. No more than ten percent of the money in the fund shall be used by the department for administration and program monitoring by the department. No more than ten percent of any grant from the fund shall be used for administrative costs incurred by the grantee.
D. After notice and public hearing as required by law, the secretary shall adopt [regulations] rules that provide standards for qualifications for grants, priorities for awarding of grants and other standards regarding juvenile community corrections programs deemed necessary. The department shall review and approve or disapprove all applications submitted pursuant to the Juvenile Community Corrections Act for a grant of funds from the fund.
E. The department shall submit an annual report to the governor and legislature not later than December 15 providing information on grant awards, program effectiveness and monitoring efforts and making recommendations as necessary to carry out the purpose of the fund.
F. The department may accept donations, payments, contributions, gifts or grants from whatever source for the benefit of the fund."
SECTION 2. Section 33-9A-4 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 101, Section 42, as amended) is amended to read:
"33-9A-4. APPLICATIONS--CRITERIA.--
A. Counties, municipalities or private organizations, individually or jointly, may apply for grants from the fund, including grants for counties or municipalities to purchase contractual services from private organizations; provided that:
(1) the application is for funding a program with priority use being for delinquents selected pursuant to the provisions of Section 33-9A-5 NMSA 1978;
(2) the applicant certifies that it is willing and able to operate the program according to standards provided by the department, which may include the negotiation of a contract between the [delinquent] child and program staff with provisions such as deductions from employment income for applicable victim restitution, family support, room and board, savings and weekly allowance. In addition to monetary restitution, to the extent practical, or if monetary restitution is not applicable, the contract may include provision for community service restitution for a specific number of hours;
(3) the applicant demonstrates the support of key components of the criminal justice system;
(4) the applicant, if a private organization, demonstrates the support of the county and municipality where the program will provide services;
(5) the applicant certifies that it will utilize volunteer services as an integral portion of the program to the maximum extent feasible; and
(6) no class A county alone or in conjunction with any municipality within a class A county shall receive more than forty-nine percent of any money appropriated to the fund.
B. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection A of this section, the department may utilize the fund to place individuals eligible, or within twelve months of eligibility, for parole in community-based settings. The department may, in its discretion, require participation by a delinquent in a program as a condition of supervised release.
C. The department may utilize not more than twenty-five percent of the fund to contract directly for community corrections programs or to establish programs operated by the department; provided, however, that the department may utilize up to an additional ten percent of the fund to operate juvenile community corrections programs if, after a reasonable effort to solicit proposals, there are no satisfactory proposals from a community where it is determined that a program is necessary or if it becomes necessary to cancel a program as provided in the contract.
D. The department shall establish additional guidelines for allocation of funds under the Juvenile Community Corrections Act. An applicant shall retain the authority to accept or reject the placement of any [delinquent] child in a program."
SECTION 3. Section 33-9A-5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1988, Chapter 101, Section 43, as amended) is amended to read:
"33-9A-5. SELECTION PANELS.--
A. The department shall establish a state panel whose duties shall be to immediately screen and identify delinquents sentenced to a juvenile correctional facility of the department and transferred to the legal custody of the department, except individuals who are sentenced or transferred from a judicial district that has established a local panel to exercise these duties pursuant to the provisions of this section and who meet the following criteria:
(1) the offense involved is one for which community service or reasonable restitution may be made using a payment schedule compatible with the total amount of restitution to be paid and the time the offender is to participate in a program; and
(2) the child is willing to enter into a contract that establishes objectives that shall be achieved before release from the program.
B. The department may establish criteria in addition to those established in Subsection A of this section for the screening of [delinquents] children who would benefit from participation in a program and who would not pose a threat to the community.
C. If the state panel determines that a child is suitable for placement in a program, a recommendation to that effect and for modification of disposition shall be presented as soon as possible to the sentencing judge or the department, which may, notwithstanding any provision of law, accept, modify or reject the recommendation. The determination shall be presented to the county, municipality or private nonprofit organization, as applicable, for approval or rejection.
D. A county, municipality or private nonprofit organization, individually or jointly, may establish a local panel to exercise the duties and responsibilities of the state panel pursuant to the provisions of Subsection A of this section and, using the same criteria as the state panel, the local panel may screen and identify [delinquents] participants. The composition of a local panel shall include, to the maximum extent possible, representatives of the judiciary, the administrative office of the district attorneys, the public defender department, the children, youth and families department, the county sheriff or the municipal police department, individuals representing local programs and private citizens."
- 7 -