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Out‑of‑state veterans diversion program seeks $500,000 pilot in five New Mexico counties
Summary
First Responders Action Group executive director Clark Pennington asked the committee for $500,000 in non‑recurring funding to pilot a five‑county Veterans Justice Initiative modeled on North Carolina’s program, arguing the approach diverts veterans from incarceration into treatment and can save state costs while reducing suicides.
Clark Pennington, executive director of the First Responders Action Group, presented a plan on Nov. 5 to replicate a North Carolina veterans diversion model in New Mexico. The proposed Veterans Justice Initiative (VJI) combines veteran‑specific crisis intervention training for first responders, case management/VA coordination, and support for veteran treatment courts.
Pennington said the model has trained thousands of first responders in North Carolina and produced measurable fiscal savings by diverting veterans out of the criminal justice system into treatment. "We know that every veteran that gets wrapped up into our criminal justice process nationally, it costs about $50,000 a year for the state to incarcerate," Pennington said, and cited a roughly $2.5 million savings by diverting 50 veterans in their North Carolina pilot.
He asked the committee to authorize $500,000 in non‑recurring funds to run a one‑year pilot across five counties he identified as Valencia, Torrance, Santa Fe, Sandoval and Bernalillo. Pennington said the pilot would fund trained case managers who can be contacted by law enforcement to provide on‑scene de‑escalation and continuity through the court and treatment process, plus training tailored to veteran culture for police, EMS and fire personnel.
Committee members asked whether the VJI would duplicate existing veterans courts in Bernalillo, Dona Ana and Otero counties; Pennington said the VJI’s three‑pillar model builds on existing courts by adding targeted training and active case management. Members also asked about local partnerships and sponsorship; Pennington said the group is early in discussions with New Mexico stakeholders and that the pilot request is intended to prove a model that local jurisdictions and the VA could sustain if effective.
The committee did not immediately commit funding but encouraged the presenters to work with local veterans’ court stakeholders and legislative sponsors to refine an implementation plan and budget.
