New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center Fast Facts

Case Processing

Fast Facts—Felony Case Processing

This brief report highlights the key findings from the New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center’s study examining felony case processing. New Mexico has a two-tiered system for processing criminal felony offenses. Felony cases are initiated in the lower courts and bound over to the district court for prosecution after a finding of probable cause. Once in district court, the case may be adjudicated. Not all cases are bound over, however, and whether adjudication occurs is dependent upon decisions made along the way that influence the trajectory of the case. The purpose of this document is to briefly describe the study and present key findings. These findings are described in detail in the full-length report.

Prosecutorial Discretion

Fast Facts—Felony Case Initiation Type: The Use of Grand Jury versus Preliminary Examination in New Mexico

This report highlights the key findings from the New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center’s two-part study examining felony case initiation type. Prosecutors in New Mexico and across the nation have discretion when choosing how to pursue felony criminal cases, either by a preliminary examination hearing or grand jury. The study, funded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, has two parts. Part 1 focuses on the relationship between case initiation and felony case processing; Part 2 explores the rescheduling of preliminary hearings. The purpose of this document is to briefly describe the study and present key findings. These findings are described in detail in the full-length report.

Domestic Violence

Fast Facts-Domestic Violence in New Mexico: Criminal Case Processing Outcomes

This report provides highlights case processing outcomes for domestic and non-domestic violence related aggravated assault and sexual assault. It highlights key findings in criminal justice outcomes by domestic violence status and gender. More information is available in the full-length report entitled Implementing Bail Reform in New Mexico..

Substance Use

Opioid Test Results among New Mexico Probationers and Parolees

This brief report provides highlights about the use of opioids among New Mexico probationers and parolees. It describes the prevalence of opioid use in this population, demographic and geographic characteristics of those who use opioids, and trends over time. More information is available in the full-length report.

Substance Test Results among New Mexico Probationers and Parolees

This report provides facts about substance use among probationers and parolees overall, by demographic and geographic characteristics, and trends over time by substance type. More information is available in the full-length report.

Bail Reform

Bail Reform:  Impact

The New Mexico Statistical Analysis Center received funding from the Bureau of Justice Statistics to complete a multi-phase study assessing New Mexico’s bail reform efforts. The current study examines the impact of bail reform in six New Mexico counties. This study first explores the use and amount of bond judges ordered as recorded in criminal court cases where conditions of release were set, using data from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). Second, using data from New Mexico county detention centers and the AOC, the study explores the impact of bail reform among defendants booked between 2015 and 2019 for a new felony offense. The study examines four outcomes: pretrial detention practices, the use of bond, failure/success rates among those released pretrial; and court efficiency. This Fast Facts report highlights key findings; more details are available in the full-length report.

Bail Reform: Baseline Measures

In 2016, the voters of New Mexico passed a constitutional amendment to reform bail practices in the state. We are conducting a multi-phase study assessing the bail reform efforts.  The first phase establishes baseline measures using data from four New Mexico counties.  This Fast Facts report highlights key findings from our full-length report.

Bail Reform: Pretrial Detention Motions and their Outcomes

As part of the NMSAC’s ongoing effort to assess bail reform efforts in the state, we examined preventative detention motions filed by prosecutors across New Mexico. The study addresses three overarching questions: 1) What are the estimated rates of filing for preventative detention? 2) What are the outcomes of these motions? 3) What case and defendant characteristics are associated with prosecutors’ decisions to file for preventative detention and how these are related to pretrial detention outcomes? The study includes an assessment of the use of bail as a condition of release, length of pretrial detention, and rates of pretrial failure.This report highlights key findings from the full-length report.