New Mexico Statutes 31-28-3. Criminal justice coordinating councils created;
composition; duties.
Terms Used In New Mexico Statutes 31-28-3
- Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
- Public defender: Represent defendants who can't afford an attorney in criminal matters.
A. A criminal justice coordinating council is created for each judicial district and shall include representation from within the district for:
(1) each court in the district; (2) the district attorney;
(3) the district public defender office; (4) law enforcement agencies;
(5) jails;
(6) behavioral health programs; and
(7) other agencies and entities agreed upon by the council.
B. Each criminal justice coordinating council shall be convened by the chief judge of the district court in the judicial district. The commission shall assist in the organization of the criminal justice coordinating councils.
C. Each criminal justice coordinating council shall select a chair at its first meeting. The first meeting of each council shall take place by August 1, 2019, and the council shall subsequently meet at the call of the chair, but not less than ten months per year.
D. Each criminal justice coordinating council shall organize itself and adopt rules in a manner appropriate to accomplish its duties pursuant to the Crime Reduction Grant Act.
E. A criminal justice coordinating council shall develop a strategic plan to meet the requirements of this section and shall:
(1) review the criminal justice system in the judicial district, including judicial processes, law enforcement, community corrections alternatives and sufficiency of jail and detention facilities;
(2) identify criminal justice system problems in the judicial district;
(3) develop data-driven policies and evidence-based best practices designed to improve public safety outcomes, cost-effective responses to crime and fair and efficient adjudication processes;
(4) facilitate applications from its members for crime reduction grants pursuant to the Crime Reduction Grant Act;
(5) facilitate sharing of criminal justice information between agencies as permitted by law; and
(6) in consultation with the commission, develop data-sharing agreements and methods of data sharing to allow system-wide analysis of criminal justice operations within the judicial district and throughout the state.
F. Executive agencies and the administrative office of the courts shall provide prompt responses to criminal justice coordinating council requests for information.