The New Mexico legislature has resurrected a previously-failed measure aimed at offering something other than jail time to people facing drug possession charges.

Susan Montoya Bryan of the Associated Press provided the following details in her Feb. 17 article:

The proposed Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act would give judges the ability to determine after a hearing if a treatment program would be a viable option for an interested defendant. The defendant would have to pay for the treatment, and the state could pursue the charges if the treatment wasn't completed.

Supporters of the measure, which passed on a 34-31 vote, said the option of treatment could help break the cycle of drug addiction and save the state millions of dollars in incarceration costs.

"We here in New Mexico have found that incarceration isn't the only answer, but it's certainly the most expensive one," said House Majority Leader W. Ken Martinez, D-Grants. "If we just incarcerate people at that rate, at that huge expense, we end up having to figure out a way to pay for it."

Labels: jail, treatment

Posted By: Aspen/CRC