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F I S C A L   I M P A C T   R E P O R T

 

 

 

SPONSOR:

Feldman

 

DATE TYPED:

3/06/03

 

HB

 

 

SHORT TITLE:

Albuquerque Housing Assistance for Parolees

 

SB

409/aSJC

 

 

ANALYST:

Reynolds-Forte

 

APPROPRIATION

 

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

$120.0

 

 

Recurring

General Fund

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

 

REVENUE

 

Estimated Revenue

Subsequent

Years Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY03

FY04

 

 

 

 

$120.0

 

Recurring

New Community

Corrections Grant Fund

 

 

 

 

 

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

 

Duplicates HB492

 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

 

Responses Received From

New Mexico Corrections Department

 

SUMMARY

 

     Synopsis of SJC Amendment

 

The Senate Judiciary Committee Amendment to HB409 strikes the reference to “residential” in the bill.  The bill appropriates $120.0 to the New Mexico Corrections Department Community Corrections Grant Fund for expenditure in FY04 to expand housing assistance for male and female parolees.  The service is to be provided by a city-designated community corrections vendor providing the same services located in Albuquerque.

 

The New Mexico Corrections Department noted in their original analysis that the reference to residential corrections program should be stricken since there is a significant difference between the residential housing programs, and housing assistance programs within the community.  

 

     Synopsis of Original Bill

 

SB409 appropriates $120.0 from the general fund to the New Mexico Corrections Department Community Corrections Grant Fund for expenditure in FY04 to expand housing assistance for male and female parolees provided by a city-designated community residential corrections program located in Albuquerque.  Any unexpended or unencumbered balances remaining at the end of the FY04 fiscal year will revert.

 

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

 

The bill appropriates $120.0 from the general fund to the Corrections Department community corrections grant fund for FY04 for residential housing in Albuquerque for parolees.  If the program is to continue at the same level in future years the funding will be recurring.

 

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

 

The department’s current housing assistance budget is approximately $170.0, which is utilized for housing assistance and the administration of the fund.  Although this money is intended for statewide assistance, the majority of it is currently expended upon parolees in Albuquerque.

 

This bill would expand the housing assistance program in community corrections by providing a housing assistance fund specific for the Albuquerque area; this, in turn, would “free up” a larger portion of the current budget to other outlying areas of New Mexico.  This would provide the Department with more options to offer inmates nearing parole and parolees in Albuquerque and throughout the state.  

 

When qualifying a parolee for community corrections housing assistance, there are many things to consider.  First, the risk level of that parolee must be assessed in order to determine what level of supervision they will require.  Secondly, the social services and treatment programs necessary for the parolee’s ability to function within the community must be assessed.  Providing this additional funding will result in more parolees programmed into community corrections, which, in turn, may cause an increased caseload upon the Department’s Probation and Parole Division that the Department cannot absorb without increasing the number of its parole officers

 

Community Corrections has a matrix for offenders depending on their need.  Mental Health offenders caseload is 15 per probation parole officer (PPO), Sex Offenders is 25 per PPO and an offender who does not fall under either of these two categories but who has high need for assistance, i.e. housing, employment, education, is 30 per PPO. If more inmates were released to ABQ, the caseload would have to increase or FTE’s increased by at least 3.  Community Corrections would also require additional treatment dollars because Community Corrections is geared toward heavier treatment for these offenders.

 

TECHNICAL ISSUES

 

The Department notes that if the intention of this bill is to strictly provide housing assistance for parolees to live independently, then the reference to “residential” corrections program should be stricken.  There is a significant difference between the residential housing programs and housing assistance programs within the community. 

 

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

 

This bill requires that any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY04 shall revert to the General Fund.  The existing Community Corrections Grant Fund does not revert back to the General Fund at the end of each fiscal year.  Requiring this appropriation to revert to the General Fund would cause a serious administrative burden upon the Department.

 

PRF/njw