Report: MAT rollout for incarcerated New Mexicans progressing slowly as legislators press for clarity on funding and access

A Legislative Finance staff presentation on Jan. 28 told the committee that New Mexico has appropriated funds for medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) for people involved with the criminal justice system, but the money has been slow to reach patients.

The presenter said the legislature “has invested significant amounts of money into MAT services,” but “the money has been slow to roll out and few adults have received services in comparison to how many adults need the services.” The report listed a set of special appropriations since 2023; the presenter read a figure in the packet that listed $1,360,000 in special appropriations since 2023 while a committee member later cited a larger total of $136,000,000 and asked for written clarification.

The presentation gave a detailed account of where services are currently being provided. Corrections was appropriated $1,000,000 in 2023 and, the presenter said, had used a little more than $300,000 of that amount by Sept. 30. A New Mexico corrections survey cited in the report estimates about 36% — roughly 2,000 — of state inmates need MAT; as of January 2025, corrections had started a MAT program and 177 people (about 8.8% of those estimated to need it) had received services.

Committee members raised concerns about uneven coverage outside the state prisons. The presentation and follow-up discussion noted that county jails lack a systematic statewide policy and that MAT provision is concentrated in urban counties. The presenter said treatment‑court MAT use is heavily concentrated in Bernalillo, Rio Arriba, San Juan and Santa Fe counties and that rural counties often cannot find providers willing or able to prescribe MAT.

Representative Hart Vincent, who pressed presenters on facility rollout and costs, asked whether the $166 figure cited in the report was per day or per month; staff replied it was $166 per person per month with the federal Medicaid match expected to cover three‑quarters of that cost. Vincent also said counties that have already offered MAT have not always been reimbursed and asked whether state appropriations could be distributed to counties; presenters said the appropriations listed in the packet were appropriated to the Corrections Department and not directly to county jails.

The committee singled out Roosevelt County Jail as a local implementation model. Staff said Roosevelt had approximately 60 participants this year and reported two recidivism events among participants; the presenter offered to connect legislators with Roosevelt staff for more details.

On youth services, the presenter said national research shows opioid‑related deaths among 12‑ to 17‑year‑olds rose about 280% between 2018 and 2023 and that fewer than one in three youth with substance‑use disorders receive treatment nationally. Within New Mexico, the presenter named Adobe, a University of New Mexico program serving Bernalillo County, as the only program the presenter knew of that offers MAT to incarcerated youth; staff said transfers to CYFD facilities have led to documented premature discontinuations of treatment.

Legislators asked for follow-up materials, including age breakdowns, a detailed accounting of appropriations and clearer tracking of whether the $10,000,000 juvenile appropriation will be used by HCA or CYFD. Presenters committed to returning data and to following up in writing.

What’s next: Committee members asked staff to seek additional detail on the appropriation totals and on whether state funding can better support county‑level care; presenters said they would provide additional numbers and connect legislators with local providers and county officials for implementation details.