About half of New Mexico’s paroled inmates return to prison within five years, according to a legislative audit. By reducing inmate recidivism, the state can save money on corrections and slow a growing prison population. If nothing is done, New Mexico will run out of prison space within in the next decade and will have to consider building a new prison or expanding existing ones. Significant budget cuts to successful court-supervised drug treatment programs, which are intended to help keep offenders out of prison, has contributed to the problem. Legislative auditors said the Corrections Department could reduce recidivism by focusing on programs with a proven success record, such as drug treatment, vocational and adult education courses and correctional industries that offer inmates a chance to work. The report faulted the prison system for not targeting treatment based on inmate needs or risks.
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