How much prison time do New Mexico’s incarcerated actually serve behind bars?
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – In New Mexico, criminals are sentenced according to statutory requirements as well as judges’ discretion. Offenders can also earn sentence reductions for good behavior. So, how much time do prisoners actually serve in the state?
New research from the New Mexico Sentencing Commission looked at data from prisoners released during fiscal year 2023 to determine how good behavior – called earned meritorious deductions – impacted actual sentences. They looked at 255 male offenders sentenced for a range of crimes.
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The data revealed that serious violent offenders with basic sentences served about 89.3% of their total sentence. Those offenders were eligible to receive four days of earned deductions for every 30 days served.
Likewise, parole violators served 87% of their total sentences, the report shows. That does not include people serving parole behind bars.
While the data shows that many prisoners were released before serving their full sentence, that is not out of the ordinary. The New Mexico Sentencing Commission notes that due to the way good behavior deductions work in New Mexico, most serious violent offenders should only have to serve about 87% of their prison sentence if they earn good time. Non-serious offenders should only have to serve about 50% of their prison sentence, the commission notes.
Incarcerated individuals can earn good time deductions through the completion of substance abuse programs, completing mental health programs, getting an educational degree, completing a vocational training program, achieving heroic deeds, and actively participating in programs recommended by their supervisor. State law places limits on how many deductions prisoners can earn, and prisoners with a life sentence without the possibility of release or parole do not earn deductions as general prisoners do.
