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

SPONSOR Picraux

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/25/06

2/2/06 HB 489

SHORT TITLE Corrections Dept. Family Visitation Programs

SB

ANALYST Peery

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$75.0

Recurring

General Fund

$250.0

Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SB 273

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Response Received From

Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)

New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 489 appropriates $75.0 from the general fund to Corrections Department for the pur-

pose of family visitation and transportation programs at the women’s correctional facility at

Grants and Camino Nuevo facility in Albuquerque, and $250.0 from the general fund to Correc-

tions Department for the purpose of operating funds for family visitation centers at the women’s

correctional facility at Grants and Camino Nuevo facility in Albuquerque.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriations of $75.0 and $250.0 contained in this bill are recurring expenses to the gen-

eral fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balances remaining at the end of fiscal year 2007

shall revert to the general fund.

House Bill 489 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

NMCD states that mothers are often the primary caregiver for children, and it is in the best inter-

ests of those children that they maintain contact with their mothers during the mothers’ incar-

ceration. NMCD reports children of incarcerated women are unable to visit their mothers with-

out the aid of an adult who is willing to assume the responsibility of transporting the children.

NMCD states the proposed legislation funds a program that facilitates visits between children

and their incarcerated mothers.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

The proposed legislation is a duplication of Senate Bill 273.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

NMCD reports that incarcerated women who have a reliable mechanism for maintaining contact

with their children will experience less anxiety about their children and will not otherwise ex-

press their frustration on correctional staff.

The Peanut Butter and Jelly program has estimated that in New Mexico there are nearly 7,300

minor children with a parent in state prison. The Peanut Butter and Jelly program reports that

children of inmates are seven times more likely to become involved in the juvenile and adult

criminal justice systems than other children.

Corrections Corporation of America reported in April 2004 that their were 294 women incarcer-

ated at the New Mexico Women’s Correctional Facility with children under the age of 18 years

old.

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