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SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Criminal justice reform has become a hot topic around the nation amid a conversation about easing three-strikes sentencing laws, scaling back mandatory sentencing laws and focusing on rehabilitation.
That’s not the case in New Mexico, where lawmakers gathered last week to begin a new legislative session.
Lawmakers and the governor are pushing a tough-on-crime agenda in response to the killings of two police officers and the death of a 4-year-old girl who was shot during a road-rage dispute. The agenda is reminiscent of a wave of 1990s anti-crime laws that are now being reversed in some states.
Nearly 20 pieces of proposed legislation aim to crack down on criminals and extend prison terms for violent career felons, repeat DWI offenders, parole jumpers and others.