Mayor Martin Chavez Wrong to Target Judges

I know that the Mayor just wants to protect the community from repeat offenders. Who among us does not want to protect a child from a repeat criminal? The problem is the way he is going about trying to solve the problem. We here in Albuquerque have one of the best group of district court judges in the state. Each one is careful to consider each case brought before them with the skill and intelligent that long years of legal experience could provide them. They are a caring group of men and women who work hard to educate our community on their rights and responsibilities. I know that the judges often carry the weight of making the right decision when it comes to probation of any criminal or even bail for that matter. The mayor has forgotten that he has been a strong supporter of community release programs to reduce overcrowding in local jails. Mayor Chavez should be looking at and pushing support services that would prevent criminals from committing future crimes. Judges have all expressed an overwhelming need for that type of support from the state and local government. Mayor Chavez should not be looking to destroy the one area of law enforcement that is working in this city. Give judges more support with rehab and counseling services that will keep people out of jail but stop them for harming people in the future or be willing to put more people of color behind bars like republicans do in other states. Mayor Chavez should also admit that either he put more money into support services or build larger jails to hold all of those repeat criminals.

Update: From Governor Richardson’s Task Force On Prison Reform

"Drug treatment is much cheaper than imprisonment and can be a conduit for other types of services. Even the most expensive drug treatment costs less than incarceration. People in drug treatment are more likely to receive other beneficial physical and mental health education information, disease prevention education, parenting skills enhancement, and even treatment for such conditions as hepatitis C. The United States Department of Health and Human Services reports that various substance abuse treatment costs range from $1,800 to $6,800 annually depending on frequency and type of treatment (Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, 1997), compared to $31,239 a year for imprisonment (New Mexico Corrections Department, 2008)."