About Us
We are New Mexico Continuum Site Coordinators. We represent 24 Counties and Cities in New Mexico. We ensure local juvenile justice boards have the tools they need - like strategic planning and needs assessments, to develop a continuum of programs that serve youth at risk of involvement and youth involved in the juvenile justice system. We gather data manage program contracts and challenges and monitor performance.
Legislation, Initiatives,
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Who We Are
Since 2003, New Mexico State Legislators have had a strong commitment to embedding consistent quality improvement measures for the Juvenile Justice system into New Mexico Statute. The New Mexico Children’s Code embeds the 8 Core Principles of the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative to guide the work of juvenile justice systems professionals. The Continuum Act and the Juvenile Community Corrections Act provide monies to support the implementation of the 8 Core principles of JDAI as well as the 4 Core Principles of the Federal Juvenile Reform Act.
The Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, Public Law 93–415, as amended, established the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to support local and state efforts to prevent delinquency and improve the juvenile justice system.
OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports the efforts of states, tribes, and communities to develop and implement effective and equitable juvenile justice systems that enhance public safety, ensure youth are held appropriately accountable to both crime victims and communities, and empower youth to live productive, law-abiding lives.
New Mexico's System Improvement approach is based on Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). It is designed to enable jurisdictions to safely reduce reliance on secure confinement through continuous juvenile justice system improvement.
JDAI is intended to: 1) Eliminate inappropriate or unnecessary use of secure detention (2) Minimize failures to appear and incidence of delinquent behavior; (3) Redirect public finances to successful reform strategies; (4) Improve conditions in secure detention facilities; and (5) Reduce racial and ethnic disparities.