Task force finds New Mexico shouldn't combine jails and prisons

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – In the last few years, New Mexico has seen some big changes within the criminal justice system. The state decriminalized marijuana, prison populations have been dropping, and statewide crime rates have dropped since 2018 (although not every community saw a drop). All this has led New Mexico's lawmakers to ask: Should the state combine jails and prisons to address some key problems?Currently, New Mexico's jails are run by counties. Prisons, on the other han