House Arrest and Community Custody Program (CCP) in NM
To incarcerate or not to incarcerate that is the question.
On one end of the debate we have the McGruff’s of our nation that believe we need to take a bite out of crime by punishing and rehabilitating criminals with an iron fist through the steel bars of incarceration. On the other end of the spectrum our national debt has ballooned to $15.23 trillion and according to the 2011 New Mexico Legislature, “the average cost to incarcerate an inmate in New Mexico is thirty-nine thousand dollars ($39,000) per year.” As a comparison, the US Department of Commerce reported in 2011 that the per capita income for individuals living in Albuquerque was roughly $35,000.
As illustrated by these figures, the average cost to incarcerate is higher than the average income in Albuquerque – not to mention the lost taxes on each inmate that is unable to work, and the money that each individual could use to stimulate our local economy.
With these figures as a backdrop our judicial system faced a dilemma. On one hand there was the responsibility to punish and rehabilitate individuals for their crimes. On the other hand there was the responsibility to keep our state fiscally healthy. In order to reach a compromise the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) put its hands together, creating the Community Custody Program (CCP) to provide an innovative and fiscally responsible alternative to traditional incarceration.
WHAT IS HOUSE ARREST/CCP IN ALBUQUERQUE?
CCP is a program built on the concept of intensive community-based supervision and treatment for non-violent inmates, in lieu of traditional confinement in a structured institution. If accepted into the program, inmates are placed in the community and continually monitored to ensure compliance with the program’s strict requirements, and are reintegrated into the community through community based programs.
Acceptance into the program not only saves tax payer money – to the tune of $39,000 per year – but it also generates income for New Mexico. You see, all inmates are required to pay a basic equipment connection fee of $30.00 – for their ankle bracelet monitoring device – and are also required to pay a weekly fee calculated at 10% of the inmate’s weekly income.
Despite its strong points CCP still has a tarnished past that is similar to many of the inmates it aids. In 2010 CCP was suddenly brought to a halt when the program’s director was accused of accepting bribes to admit otherwise ineligible candidates. A wise man once said: “When you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back at you.” CCP’s checkered past certainly supports this wisdom.
HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR HOUSE ARREST/CCP IN ALBUQUERQUE?
In order to qualify for CCP inmates must meet the following requirements:
1. Inmates will not be accepted into CCP if they have an extensive or violent criminal history, including sex crimes – and all orders will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
2. The inmate must live within a 45 mile radius of Downtown Albuquerque.
3. The inmate must be approved on all cases to be processed for CCP.
4. Inmates must provide a permanent address, phone number, and person to contact.
5. The family and friends accepting the inmate into their home are not responsible for the inmate. Therefore, if the inmate fails to comply they will be incarcerated.
6. If an inmate wants to reside at a program, the order needs to state the inmate is authorized for that program.
7. If an inmate is denied acceptance into CCP, it will be entered in court services.
8. If the inmate has violated CCP they will be eligible for reinstatement after serving their disciplinary time.
9. The courts will be advised if an inmate is accepted, rejected, violated, and reinstated into the program.
Matthew Legan Sanchez is a criminal trial lawyer in Albuquerque that handling CCP cases in NM. Contact (505) SANCHEZ for information on House Arrest and Community Custody Program (CCP) in Albuquerque.
