New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 8 - SOCIAL SERVICES
Chapter 14 - JUVENILE JUSTICE
Part 7 - SUPERVISED RELEASE AND DISCHARGE
Section 8.14.7.10 - CONDUCT OF RELEASE CONSIDERATION MEETINGS

Universal Citation: 8 NM Admin Code 8.14.7.10

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024

A. Each FTC submits a proposed list of names of juveniles to be placed on the agenda to the panel at least forty days prior to the next regularly scheduled release consideration meeting dates. The FTC shall provide the release panel with the release consideration summary at least ten (10) days before the release consideration meeting.

(1) A client may appear on the panels' agenda by:
(a) an MDT recommendation for release;

(b) personally petitioning the panel any time sixty days after commitment or after a denial of release;

(c) a board request to be placed on the agenda after a denial of release.

(2) The final agenda is prepared and approved by the JJS director/designee.

(3) The JJS director/designee distributes copies of the final agenda to the department's facilities sufficiently in advance so that the facilities may arrange for the juvenile offenders and the employees who will present their cases to be present.

(4) For purposes of victim notification and representation, the JJS director/designee notifies the administrative office of the district attorneys of the upcoming agenda at least ten days prior to the release consideration meeting and provides notice if there are changes made to the agenda. After the release consideration meeting, the AODA, the committing judge, and the NM public defender department are promptly notified of the juvenile offenders who were granted or denied supervised release and the reasons therefore.

(5) The JJS director/deputy director/designee provides a copy of the panel's agenda to the JPSAB at least thirty five (35) days before the release consideration meeting.

B. At least ten (10) days prior to a release consideration meeting, the members of the panel receive an updated supervised release recommendation report from the facility transition coordinator for each juvenile offender on the agenda. For special supervised release hearings or for juvenile offenders who are added to the agenda, the panel receives the updated supervised release recommendation report as soon as practicable. The updated supervised release recommendation report must include the following information:

(1) for the commitment period, summaries of:
(a) behavior at the facility, including any disciplinary actions;

(b) mental health/medical interventions;

(c) extra-curricular activity;

(d) academic/vocational progress;

(e) family involvement while in commitment, including family involvement in any community services offered or recommended;

(2) home study that includes the status of the juvenile offender's siblings and juvenile/adult relatives known to law enforcement authorities and includes the JPO's assessment of the juvenile offender's home situation, including an update if the home study is more than 60 days old or circumstances have changed significantly since the completion of the home study;

(3) for the proposed supervised release period, the plan for:
(a) living arrangements; if the supervised release plan involves independent living, a full description of the proposed living and financial arrangements, including a budget breakdown; if an out-of-state release is proposed, all information required under applicable interstate compact provisions; if RTC, foster care, or other alternative living arrangement is proposed, how the placement will be funded and the estimated length of stay;

(b) education, including but not limited to, written confirmation from school officials or the juvenile offender's JPO as to anticipated school acceptance and grade level; any special educational programs should be outlined in the home study update;

(c) employment, including a letter from an employer setting forth the place of work, the beginning date if known, the number of hours, work schedule and rate of pay; information about employment arrangements should be made in the home study update;

(d) community service, including the name and location of the program and the number of hours of service recommended; the panel may consider such service as a complement or alternative to employment;

(e) community resources to be utilized to help the juvenile offender, including but not limited to alcohol, substance, drug, individual therapy, group therapy, mental health, sex offenders and family counseling programs; the counseling information shall specify particular programs and costs when possible;

(f) court ordered restitution or community service, which is to be arranged and coordinated through the department prior to supervised release;

(g) information provided by the victim, if any; and

(h) such additional information that the panel or facility may request in the particular case.

C. The panel interviews each juvenile offender and the juvenile's primary caregiver(s), if in attendance, at the release consideration meeting at which his or her supervised release is under consideration before making a decision to grant or deny supervised release. If the juvenile or the primary caregivers are unavailable to attend the meeting in person, vide or teleconferencing may be arranged.

D. Juvenile offenders are permitted to have legal counsel present at release consideration meetings.

E. Other than the juvenile, the juvenile's primary caregivers, and department representatives, the panel has sole discretion and authority to determine who may be present at release consideration meetings, which are not open to the public.

F. Official minutes of release consideration meetings are prepared by the panel.

G. Any decision regarding supervised release shall be approved by a majority of the panel. If the action of the panel is not unanimous, the dissenting member may have the reasons for his or her dissent set forth in the official minutes of the release consideration meeting.

H. The panel shall grant release when:

(1) the client has reached, or will reach before the next regularly scheduled release consideration meeting, his or her 90 day mandatory release date, as determined by the length of commitment ordered by the court;

(2) the client meets release criteria;

(3) the purpose of the commitment has been achieved; or

(4) the department is unable to adequately meet the client's needs in any of its facilities or programs, a suitable facility or program is available in the community where the juvenile has been accepted for placement, and supervised release to that placement would not pose a substantial risk to the public safety.

I. The panel's decision is announced to the juvenile offender, the juvenile's family, and their placement (if out of home) within forty eight (48) hours of the conclusion of the release consideration meeting.

(1) If the panel decides to grant supervised release, the juvenile offender is immediately informed of the panel's decision and of the general and special conditions of release.
(a) The juvenile offender must agree and sign a written statement of the general and special conditions of release (the release agreement) in order for release to commence. The panel provides a copy of the proposed release agreement to the juvenile at the release hearing, and mails a copy to the juvenile's parent, guardian or custodian within five (5) days, if release is granted.

(b) A certificate of supervised release is prepared, and a copy is provided to the juvenile.

(2) If the panel decides to deny supervised release, the panel provides the juvenile offender, their family, and their placement (if out of home) with a written statement of reasons for denial. A copy of the statement is mailed to the juvenile offender's parent, guardian or custodian within five (5) days after the decision is made to deny release. The panel may deny supervised release when, based on information presented at the release consideration meeting, a juvenile is not in a mandatory release period and:
(a) there is substantial risk to the public safety if he or she is released;

(b) there is a substantial likelihood the juvenile offender will not follow the conditions of supervised release;

(c) continued programming at the facility would be beneficial to the juvenile; or

(d) there exists any other reasons the panel deems sufficient and reasonable to deny supervised release.

J. Special release consideration meetings. Special release consideration meetings are scheduled at the discretion of the panel. Time frames applicable to the regularly scheduled release consideration meetings do not apply; however, the panel will coordinate receipt of any proposed agenda and distribution of the finalized agenda so that all interested parties and agencies receive as much notice as practicable. Notices of special release consideration meetings and agendas are provided to the AODA and the NM public defender department at least five days prior to the meeting.

K. If circumstances substantially change between a future release date and the date that release is approved by the panel, the panel may reconsider the decision to release and defer or deny release. If the panel decides to defer or deny release, it shall do so at a release consideration meeting, following all regular procedures, provided however, that supervised release may be temporarily deferred by the JJS director and the juvenile kept at the facility pending the convening of a release consideration meeting. Substantially changed circumstances include, but are not limited to:

(1) the juvenile's behavior in the period between approval and actual release is such that releasing him or her would pose a threat to his or her safety or the public safety;

(2) the placement that the juvenile is scheduled to be released to is not approved, cancelled, or otherwise modified such that releasing the juvenile would not be in his or her best interests; or

(3) any other credible information that comes to the attention of the panel that leads to a determination that the juvenile should not be released.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. New Mexico may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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