Contact: Erika Martinez
(505)986-4819
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2014
Bill Aimed to Help Rehabilitate Inmates and Positively Affect the Public
Inmate-Produced Items Allowed to be Sold to Qualified Purchasers
Santa Fe, NM – Today, Governor Susana Martinez signed Senate Bill 182, to allow for the Corrections Industries Division of the New Mexico Corrections Department to sell manufactured products to the public valued at $300 or less. The bill is sponsored by Senator Bill O’Neill (D-13-Bernalillo). Sale earnings will be placed into the corrections industries revolving fund to support future projects and the crime victim’s reparation fund.
Bill sponsor, Senator Bill O’Neill (D-13-Bernalillo), said he was excited that the Governor signed the bill, stating it would positively affect rehabilitated inmates and the public alike.
“SB 182 removes an outdated restriction on what corrections industries can sell to the public. These inmate-made products, such as furniture, and other hand crafted items have an appeal to the general public, and every dime will go back into rehabilitative programs for the benefit of inmates themselves,” said Sen. O’Neill. “Everyone wins when incarcerated individuals emerge from prison with a learned skill.”
According to the bill, qualified purchasers of the products include state agencies, local public bodies, agencies of the federal government, tribal and pueblo governments, nonprofits and persons, partnerships, corporations or associations that provide public school transportation services to a state agency or local public body among others.
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