The bill amends Section 33-2-34 of the New Mexico Statutes to classify homicide by vehicle and great bodily harm by vehicle as serious violent offenses, thereby affecting the eligibility for earned meritorious deductions for prisoners convicted of these crimes. Specifically, it deletes the previous classification of "third degree homicide by vehicle or great bodily harm by vehicle" from the list of offenses that are not considered serious violent offenses. This change means that prisoners convicted of these offenses will now be subject to the same limitations on meritorious deductions as those convicted of other serious violent offenses.

As a result of this amendment, prisoners convicted of serious violent offenses can earn up to four days of meritorious deductions per month, while those convicted of nonviolent offenses can earn up to thirty days. The bill also outlines the criteria for earning these deductions, including active participation in approved programs and compliance with facility rules. The corrections department is tasked with implementing the new provisions and ensuring that the rules are publicly accessible to all prisoners.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 33-2-34