4 Investigates: Incompetent Justice – KOB.com

Report on Criminal Justice and Mental Health Reform in New Mexico

Executive Summary

This report examines the systemic challenges within New Mexico’s criminal justice system concerning individuals with mental illness. It analyzes the proposed reforms, modeled after the Miami-Dade County system, through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis indicates that the current system fails to meet key objectives of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The proposed adoption of a diversion-focused model represents a significant opportunity for New Mexico to align its justice system with these global standards for sustainable development.

Systemic Deficiencies and SDG Misalignment

The Criminalization of Mental Illness

New Mexico’s criminal justice system currently functions as a de facto mental health provider, a role for which it is not designed. This misalignment results in poor outcomes for vulnerable individuals and undermines community well-being.

• The system is ill-equipped to handle psychiatric crises, leading to incarceration rather than treatment.
• At the Metropolitan Detention Center in Bernalillo County, 44% of inmates receive psychological services, indicating a significant overlap between the incarcerated population and those needing mental health support.
• Nationally, individuals with serious mental illness are overrepresented in correctional facilities, with 17% of the U.S. jail population documented as having a serious mental illness compared to 4% of the general population. This disparity highlights a failure to uphold SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

A Case Study in Reform: The Miami-Dade County Model

A Framework for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The “Miami Model,” developed under the leadership of Judge Steve Leifman, provides a proven framework for reforming justice institutions to be more effective, accountable, and inclusive. By prioritizing treatment over incarceration, the model directly addresses the root causes of criminal justice involvement for individuals with mental illness.

Key Components of the Model

1. Diversion Pathways: Defendants with serious mental illness are diverted from the traditional justice system into mandatory, court-supervised treatment programs.
2. Comprehensive Support: The model provides holistic care, including medication, housing, therapy, and peer support, which directly contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by addressing homelessness and health crises.

Measurable Outcomes and SDG Impact

The implementation of the Miami Model has yielded significant, quantifiable results that demonstrate progress toward multiple SDGs.

• Recidivism Reduction: Recidivism for misdemeanor participants dropped from 75% to approximately 20%, advancing SDG 16 by creating a more peaceful and just society with lower re-arrest rates.
• Reduced Incarceration: Annual jail bookings decreased from 118,000 to 53,000, and the daily jail population fell from over 7,000 to around 4,000. This allowed for the closure of a facility, promoting more efficient and sustainable community infrastructure (SDG 11).

Implementation in New Mexico: A Pathway to Sustainable Development

Legislative and Financial Commitment

New Mexico has demonstrated a commitment to reform through legislative action and significant financial allocation. The state’s success will depend on the strategic deployment of these resources to build a new, more effective system.

• Senate Bill 3: This behavioral health reform measure was inspired by the success of the Miami Model.
• Financial Investment: State lawmakers have dedicated $555 million to initiate these reforms.

Conclusion: Strategic Investment for Systemic Change

The investment in New Mexico’s behavioral health infrastructure presents a critical opportunity to transform its justice system. However, as noted by Judge Leifman, funding the existing broken system will not yield different results. True progress requires a fundamental shift away from incarceration and toward a community-based care model. By successfully implementing a diversion-focused system, New Mexico can make substantial progress toward achieving SDG 3, SDG 10, and SDG 16, fostering a healthier, more equitable, and just society for all its citizens.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights issues that are directly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals. The primary focus on mental health within the criminal justice system, the need for institutional reform, and the provision of essential services like housing link the article’s content to the following SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This goal is central to the article, which focuses on the crisis of untreated serious mental illness within the criminal justice system. It discusses the need for proper psychiatric care, medication, and therapy as an alternative to incarceration, directly addressing the promotion of mental health and well-being.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article critiques the current criminal justice system as “broken” and ineffective for handling individuals with mental illness. The proposed reforms, modeled after the “Miami Model,” aim to create more effective, accountable, and just institutions by diverting people from jail into treatment, thereby promoting access to justice for a vulnerable population.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article mentions that the successful “Miami Model” provides comprehensive support that includes housing. This acknowledges the intersection of mental illness, homelessness, and the justice system, connecting the issue to the goal of ensuring access to adequate and safe housing for all.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s discussion of mental health treatment, justice reform, and comprehensive support systems, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Under SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. The article’s focus on diverting people with “serious mental illness” into “mandatory, court-supervised treatment” including medication and therapy is a direct effort to promote mental health and provide treatment.
  • Target 3.5: Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol. The article notes that in U.S. jails, most inmates with serious mental illness “are also abusing drugs or alcohol,” indicating that the comprehensive diversion programs must address substance abuse to be effective.

• Under SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The article describes a system where jails have become “default mental-health facilities,” which represents a failure to provide appropriate and equal access to justice for people with psychiatric crises. The “Miami Model” aims to correct this by creating “diversion pathways” to treatment instead of punishment.
  • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels. The critique of New Mexico’s “broken system” and the promotion of the “Miami Model” as a more effective alternative directly relates to this target. The model’s success in reducing recidivism and jail populations demonstrates a shift towards a more effective justice institution.

• Under SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  • Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. The article explicitly states that the successful diversion programs in Miami offered “comprehensive supports” which included “housing,” recognizing that stable housing is a critical component in treating mental illness and preventing re-entry into the criminal justice system.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

• Indicators for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

  • Prevalence of mental illness in correctional facilities: The statistic that “44% of inmates receive psychological services” at the Metropolitan Detention Center serves as a baseline indicator for the scale of the mental health problem within the incarcerated population (Target 3.4).
  • Treatment adherence rate: The fact that “fewer than one in five” inmates pick up their prescribed medication is a direct indicator of the gap in effective mental health treatment within the current system (Target 3.4).
  • Co-occurrence of substance abuse: The statement that most inmates with serious mental illness are “also abusing drugs or alcohol” is a qualitative indicator highlighting the need for integrated treatment services (Target 3.5).

• Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

  • Recidivism/Re-arrest rates: The article provides clear metrics from the Miami Model, showing recidivism for misdemeanors dropping from “75% to around 20%” and re-arrest rates for some felony participants falling to “as low as 6%.” These are direct indicators of institutional effectiveness (Targets 16.3 and 16.6).
  • Jail booking and population numbers: The reduction in jail bookings from “118,000 per year to about 53,000” and the fall in daily jail population from “over 7,000 inmates down to around 4,000” are key performance indicators for the success of diversion programs and the development of more effective institutions (Target 16.6).

• Indicators for SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities)

  • Provision of comprehensive support services: The article implies an indicator by listing “housing” as a key component of the successful diversion program. Measuring the number of program participants who are successfully placed in stable housing would be a direct way to track progress toward Target 11.1.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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