A Legislative Finance Committee overview presented to the Legislative Health & Human Services committee described long‑term declines in juvenile justice referrals and secure commitments and urged investment in community‑based, evidence‑based treatments for at‑risk youth.

Carly Malone, new LFC analyst for CYFD and workforce, told the committee that referrals to juvenile justice peaked around 20,000 in earlier years and had fallen sharply during the COVID period; by 2024 referrals were roughly 7,000. Malone said the pre‑pandemic reduction followed statewide reforms that emphasized community alternatives and better risk‑informed decision making.

“Most referrals result in informal services,” Malone said, describing the system’s two pathways: informal community referrals (diversion, counseling, restitution) and formal adjudication leading to probation or secure commitment.

LFC noted the state’s secure commitment capacity has fallen: two state facilities (YDDC in Albuquerque and J. Paul Taylor in Dona Ana) have a combined capacity of about 156 beds; the average committed population in FY25 was 114. LFC said the state has shifted away from high reliance on secure confinement and toward community options.

Malone highlighted evidence‑based community treatments with documented returns on investment that remain limited in availability in New Mexico: multisystemic therapy (MST) and functional family therapy (FFT) are available largely in central New Mexico but have limited reach statewide. The LFC recommended CYFD consider expanding such services directly in areas without local providers.

The committee heard several follow‑up concerns from legislators:
- Data gaps and systems: CYFD officials and LFC acknowledged that legacy case‑management systems make some cross‑system data exports difficult; the LFC requested an updated analysis of “dually involved” youth (those with both child‑welfare and juvenile‑justice contacts). Malone noted the most recent published cross‑system study was a 2015 analysis that found 23% of juvenile‑justice clients had protective‑services involvement and 34% had some interaction with protective services.
- Risk assessment and detention decisions: LFC said validated risk instruments have guided reduced detention, but some recent changes to the tools and more overrides may have affected pre‑adjudication detention rates; committee members asked for a review of any tool changes and their effects.
- Availability of community services: lawmakers asked that CYFD and counties increase access to MST, FFT and other family‑based programs so fewer youth require out‑of‑home placement.
- Special‑education and developmental needs: multiple legislators urged that data on IEPs and learning disabilities be included in juvenile‑justice tracking because a large share of committed youth have special‑education needs, and better services could reduce recidivism.

CYFD deputy director for juvenile justice field services, Corey Adams, participated in Q&A and said the department is working to improve data access and interagency coordination, to update facilities plans and to review staffing and county‑run pre‑adjudication capacities. Adams noted that COVID‑era school closures were a major driver of the referral decline observed in 2020–2022.

Malone said the LFC is conducting a follow‑up evaluation on juvenile justice later this year to provide updated trend analysis and recommendations. Committee members asked that report include current numbers on dually involved youth, recidivism and capacity by gender and facility.