Senator Clint Harden's Bill to Relieve Victim's Trauma

-For Immediate Release Monday, January 30, 2012 Contact: 986-4702

In Committee This Afternoon:
Bill to Relieve Victim’s Trauma

Senate Judiciary
SB 176 Corrections Dept. Intensive Supervision Fund
Senator Clint Harden

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Victims Notification System to Get Steady Stream of Money with SB 176

Santa Fe-There will be a guaranteed, steady stream of money for the state’s automated victims notification system if SB 176 is passed. Senate Bill 176 allows funds in the “Corrections Department Intensive Supervision fund” to be used for victim notification efforts. That fund comes from fees convicted criminals pay for parole and probation programs for themselves. Now, some of the money could go to alert victims.

“It is only right that the offenders that created the victims would be responsible for funding this program through the fees they are obligated to pay,” bill sponsor Clint Harden (R-Clovis said.) “There should be less trauma for crime victims knowing that they will indeed be notified of the activity of their convicted perpetrator.

The plan would enable victims across our state to be alerted automatically when their offenders are scheduled for court hearings, sentencing, and releases from detention facilities at both the county and state level. The amendment to the existing statute could mean faster and more efficient means of automatically notifying victims when their perpetrators are released from state prison.

“You might be able to imagine the trauma victims might experience if they weren’t property notified and the first time they learn of their offenders release is when they physically seem them in the community. What a shock. I hope we can relieve this feeling of re-victimization by creating this long-term sustainability flow of funding to the plan,” Senator Harden said.

The bill also allows greater funding for probation and parole supervision programs for all offenders, not just those on the Intensive Supervision program. They are the very initiatives seeking to reduce recidivism and crime victimization in our neighborhoods. By doing so, we may not only lessen the costs associated with confinement of inmates and save New Mexico tax dollars, but also increase the safety and security of our families, homes, and neighbors, while providing appropriate respect to those around us who have been victimized.

Convicted criminals pay a fee when they are on probation and parole into the Corrections Department Intensive Supervision fund. That fee is currently used for intensive supervision programs such as rehab and anger management classes. If SB 176 passes, some of that funding from the fees could also go to the automated notification system, and for probation and parole programs that are not part of the intensive supervision group.