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Jails in a Jam
Some of New Mexico's jails are very dangerous places. Rapes and beatings are all too common; murder isn't unheard of. Inmates and guards alike are at risk. So is the public, because the chance of escape is relatively high.
The price of incarcerating thousands of people in local jails is also high. Inmates and guards pay in blood; the public pays in tax dollars.
Find out why in a four-part series on New Mexico jails: Paying for Time.
DAY 1
Jails in a Jam
If you want to make a case that New Mexico jails are in trouble, take a look around the state. (January 14)Written, Unwritten Rules Dictate Jail Life
Nothing sounds like a jail door closing. Whether it is the boom of a hollow steel door or metallic click of one operated electronically, it is a sound not soon forgotten. (January 14)Who's in There?
Who are the 5,000 inmates held in local jails on an average day? (January 14)DAY 2
Weekend in Jail Became Offender's Death Sentence
Somebody ate Matt Cavalier's lunch. The shift log kept by corrections officers on 3-North at the Bernalillo County Detention Center shows 75 sack lunches were served and none refused on Sunday, Aug. 27. (January 15)Guards Face Abuse at Inmates' Hands
Inmates call it a "cocktail" — a mixture of urine and feces mixed in a paper cup or plastic bag. (January 15)Ex-Officer Says Lack of Support Drove Him Out
Maybe it was sewage flooding cells, or perhaps it was the lack of trust in his fellow officers. In any case, five months as a corrections officer at the Bernalillo County Detention Center was enough for Mike Bolger. (January 15)DAY 3
Nightmare for the Defenseless
Most people booked into county jails are released within 24 hours. (January 16)Blood in Cell IDs Assault Suspects
It doesn't make much difference whether the jail is new or old, the rape of inmates in county lockups is costing taxpayers. (January 16)Inmate Lost Chance To Make Restitution
With the exception of federal inmates, county taxpayers pay the costs of housing all inmates in county jails. (January 16)DAY 4
N.M. Could Look to Texas Plan for Upgrading Jails
New Mexico jails have been plagued by rapes, assaults, escapes and lawsuits. Some are woefully understaffed and underfunded. Most are ill equipped to deal with prisoners suffering from mental disabilities or illnesses. (January 17)Texas Board Can Shut Down Jails
LUBBOCK — The Texas Jail Standards Commission was formed by the state Legislature in 1975 because many jails across the state were operating under the supervision of federal courts. (January 17)Shuffling Inmates Can Be Disastrous
Some overcrowded jails and prisons in New Mexico and elsewhere have addressed their problem by putting inmates on the bus. (January 17)Sandoval County Found a Fix
Eight years ago, the Sandoval County Detention Center was in trouble. Now it is considered one of the local jail success stories in New Mexico. (January 17)Value of Jail Time Challenged
Failing to pay a traffic fine lands some people in jail. (January 17)
