New Mexico

State Overview - State Summary - State Projects
Available Reports - Sample Data Collection Forms - Available Data - Links

State Overview

Domestic Violence Legislation:	Yes (40-13-2)
NIBRS Status:	Testing
Additional Data Elements	No
Law Enforcement DV System:	Incident-based
Service Provider DV System:	Incident-based
Service Provider SA System:	Incident-based

State Summary

The state statute defining domestic violence includes incidents between same-sex partners. The state is not NIBRS certified but the New Mexico Department of Public Safety does collect incident-based data through the state Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS), a web-based repository accessible to approved criminal justice agencies. Roughly 75% of law enforcement agencies currently report incident-based data. Domestic violence incidents are flagged in the system and on arrest and fingerprint cards. Law enforcement agencies also submit domestic and sexual violence reports to the New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services of the New Mexico Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs.

The Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs maintains the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository (NMIVDCR), which is the main statewide repository of domestic violence and sexual assault data. The NMIVDCR includes rape crisis and mental health center data reported monthly; law enforcement and service provider data reported quarterly; and sexual assault nurse examiner data, statewide victimization surveys, and court reports provided annually. The law enforcement, court, and victimization survey data also include stalking offenses. All data are submitted voluntarily. The Clearinghouse uses the reported information in annual reports that are distributed to all law enforcement and service providers, as well as to the state legislature and Governor's Office.

The New Mexico State Coalition Against Domestic Violence collects aggregate service and client-level data annually from its 31 member programs. The Coalition also maintains a database of domestic violence homicides reported in newspapers. Information is regularly provided to the media, law enforcement agencies, courts, funding agencies, and grantees.

State Projects

Evaluating the Deterrent Effect of Domestic Violence Orders of Protection
The New Mexico Criminal Justice Analysis Center is conducting a study to evaluate the effectiveness of domestic violence orders of protection as a tool for mitigating the risk of subsequent victimization. This will entail an analysis of the state's protection order records and incident, arrest, and criminal history data to determine the influence of orders of protection on subsequent offenses and explore any observed deterrent effect over time, specifically focusing on whether deterrent effects continue after the orders expire. Research findings will assist local, state, and national efforts to more effectively utilize protective orders to reduce domestic violence.

Domestic Violence in the African American Community
As part of the Safe Havens initiative funded through the Department of Justice’s Office of Violence Against Women, Rainbow Research is working with the Institute for Domestic Violence in the African American Community to explore the extent to which African Americans, Native Americans and other people of color utilize supervised visitation programs in four distinct communities—Anadarko, OK; New Orleans, LA; Queens, NY and Zuni, NM — as well as review the culturally appropriate practices of these programs.

Violence, Alcohol, Substance Abuse, Tobacco Use (VAST)
The New Mexico Department of Health is engaged in an initiative focusing on four major issues that impact the quality of life for New Mexicans: violence (family violence and domestic violence), alcohol, substance abuse, and tobacco use. New Mexico health workers use the V.A.S.T. screening questionnaire to identify problems throughout the state and to conduct further assessments. Public health and health provider settings should be safe places to identify the people who are affected by these issues, to assess the extent and depth of the problem, and if needed, to provide further assistance or referrals.

South Valley Male Involvement Project
The New Mexico Department of Health's Family Planning Program is implementing a male reproductive health project, the South Valley Male Involvement Project (SVMIP), in the South Valley area of Bernalillo County. The SVMIP provides information, education, and an opportunity for community members to access coordinated preventive health care services to improve the health and well being of men and boys. The goals of the project are to:

Improve educational and clinical services for men of all ages in the South Valley
Reduce the risk behaviors that lead to unintended pregnancy and HIV and STDs
Decrease the prevalence of violence, pregnancy and STDs among teens 15-19 in the South Valley

The SVMIP provides education at middle schools, high schools, and detention centers. Outreach activities include basketball tournaments, a locally produced play, and radio and television spots.

Violence Against Women Central Repository
The New Mexico Courts Information Center received a STOP Violence Against Women grant to create a central repository of protective order data accessible to state and national law enforcement agencies. A public Web site will also allow users to search the database.

Statewide Domestic Violence Coalition Data Collection System Project
The New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence is working with service providers on the development of a statewide data collection system for the Family Violence Prevention Fund. The system will be completed and in use in 2008.

Colleague Network
The New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services has developed a database of professionals throughout New Mexico who are involved in the investigation, prosecution, treatment, judicial administration, and prevention of sexual abuse and sexual assault. The Colleague Network includes experienced advocates, clergy, lawyers, judges, medical professionals, law enforcement, forensic scientists, teachers, counselors, principals, and trainers who can address the specific needs of anyone involved in a sexual abuse or sexual assault case.

President's Family Justice Center Initiative
The PFJCI is a pilot program administered by the Office on Violence Against Women that has awarded more than $20 million to 15 communities across the country for the planning, development, and establishment of comprehensive domestic violence victim service and support centers. The goal of the PFJCI is to make a victim's search for help and justice more efficient and effective by bringing professionals who provide an array of services together under one roof. One of the first centers, the Somos Familia Family Justice Center provides services from a variety of on-site partners.

Available Reports

General Crime

New Mexico Courts Information Center. (Annual). Annual report.
Brumbaugh, S. and Birkbeck, C. (1999). Sentencing in New Mexico: 1997 follow-up. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Birkbeck, C. (1998). Sentencing in New Mexico: A preliminary description. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Brumbaugh, S. (1998). A profile of New Mexico prisoners, 1996 - 1997. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Brumbaugh, S. and Rouse, A. A. (1998). A profile of probationers and parolees in New Mexico. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Birkbeck, C. (1997). A profile of offenders entering NM prisons, 1991 - 1994. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Rouse, A. A., Goold, S., Useem, B., and Birkbeck, C. (1996). Who is in New Mexico prisons? A summary report. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.

Domestic Violence

Center for Injury Prevention, Research, and Education. (2007). Getting away with murder: Volume 10. Intimate partner violence deaths 2003-2004. Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, University of New Mexico.
Caponera, B. (2005). Incidence and nature of domestic violence in New Mexico V: An analysis of 2004 data from the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository. New Mexico Department of Health, Office of Injury Prevention.
Office of Epidemiology. (2005). Injuries in New Mexico: Successes and challenges. New Mexico Department of Health.
Caponera, B. (2004). Domestic violence trends in New Mexico, 2001 - 2003: An analysis of data from the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository. The New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services.
DuPree, C. (2003). First Judicial District arrest policies project: Santa Fe, New Mexico. NCJ 201887. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Woerle, S., Guerin, P., and Smith, M. L. (2002). Understanding the nexus: Domestic violence and substance abuse among the arrestee population in Albuquerque. NCJ 196667. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice.
Office of Epidemiology. (2000). The state of health in New Mexico: Chapter XII Violent Behavior. New Mexico Department of Health Public Health Division.

Sexual Assault

New Mexico Sentencing Commission. (Annual). Time served in NM prisons. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Caponera, B. (2005). Sex crimes in New Mexico. New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services.
Burt, M. R., Malm, K., and Scarcella, C. A. (2004). Findings and opportunities: Family violence in Central New Mexico. The Urban Institute.
Steele, P., Damon, N., and Denman, K. (2004). Child sexual abuse on New Mexico Tribal land. University of New Mexico Institute for Social Research.
Caponera, B. (1998). The nature of sexual assault in New Mexico I (1995-1996). New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services.
Caponera, B. (1998). The nature of sexual assault in New Mexico II (1996-1997). New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services.

Violence Against Women

Office of Injury Prevention. (2005). Injury hurts New Mexico. New Mexico Department of Health.

Sample Data Collection Forms

Law enforcement agencies submit domestic and sexual violence incident data to the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository and New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services using these forms:

Domestic violence service providers submit service- and client-level data quarterly to the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository using this form:

Domestic Violence Service Agencies Form

Mental health and rape crisis centers submit information on victims to the New Mexico Clearinghouse on Sexual Abuse and Assault Services using this form:

Sexual Assault History Form

Sexual assault nurse examiners collect patient information on this form and submit annual reports to the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository:

SANE Programs Patient Data Collection Form

The New Mexico Judiciary's Administrative Office of the Courts extracts these data on sex and domestic offenses for their annual report, submitted to the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository:

Data Variables Extracted from the Administrative Office of the Courts Each Calendar Year

This victimization survey is used to collect domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking data, which are included in the New Mexico Interpersonal Violence Data Central Repository:

Statewide Survey of Violence in New Mexico

The New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission collects victim information using this form:

Application for Reparation and Authorization

Available Data