Inspection finds Metropolitan Detention Center meeting statutory review but notes staffing and resource strains
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Summary
An annual inspection of Bernalillo County’s Metropolitan Detention Center highlighted programs including inmate work details, medical and mental‑health services and education access, but also noted staffing shortages and the need for shift changes to address resource constraints.
County staff presented the required annual inspection of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) on Jan. 13, citing N.M. Stat. §33‑3‑4 as the statutory authority for the site visit and report. The presentation summarized security operations, housing units (“pods”), inmate work programs, medical and mental‑health services and planned operational changes.
Presenters described the facility’s intake configuration (a sally port and separate law‑enforcement processing entrance), housing pods with roughly 64 beds each, and inmate‑run services such as laundry and kitchen work details. Staff said tablets provide a law library and educational content, and the facility partners with UNMH for detox and mental‑health services.
The inspection report acknowledged that MDC daily population commonly exceeds 1,500 and that staff shortages create operational strain. Warden Steven Smith and staff said the facility anticipates a shift to 12‑hour schedules to improve coverage and that investments in monitoring technology — including cameras in high‑liability cells — are being piloted to enhance oversight and incident investigations.
Commissioners questioned contraband control, search procedures for employees and inmates, and the reported average daily cost per person. The warden said the county currently charges an average daily custodial cost of $211.82 per person and agreed to provide a more detailed cost breakdown by housing type (medical, mental‑health, general population) in the next quarterly report.
Why it matters: the MDC is a large county facility with ongoing litigation (the McClendon matter referenced in the presentation), recurring staffing challenges and sizable operational costs. Commissioners requested follow‑up materials on cost breakdowns, technology investments and the community‑service program that would restore inmate work outside the facility.
The presentation concluded with a recommendation to continue support for staffing and programming while pursuing steps to address identified maintenance and operational issues.
