Are New Mexico Inmate Records Public Information?
Yes. Per the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, inmate records are public information, especially if they do not reveal a confidential method, sources, or information regarding individuals accused but not charged with crimes. Hence, anyone can access New Mexico inmate records maintained by law enforcement agencies. For instance, a record seeker can use the New Mexico lookup tool on the State Corrections Department website to retrieve information on who’s in custody. A record seeker must be familiar with the inmate’s first and/or last name or NMCD Number before they can conduct a New Mexico inmate search. Typically, New Mexico inmate records search results will reveal the following information:
- Offender details, including full name, number, custody status, facility
- Demographics, including height, weight, hair, and eye color
- Offenses (both current and past), including court judgment and release date/life sentence
Alternatively, a record seeker can use the inmate locator available on the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website to conduct a feral inmate search. Record seekers who want to know how to find out why someone is in jail can contact the Corrections Department or BOP.
New Mexico Inmate Search
New Mexico inmate records contain information regarding persons held in state or privately-run detention centers, jails, and prisons in New Mexico. Generally, persons who obtain inmate records in New Mexico can expect to see the inmate's personal information and crime-related information. These include New Mexico inmate mugshot, full name, age, charges, sentence, custody status, DOC number, facility of incarceration, and release date/life sentence. The New Mexico Corrections Department is the record custodian for these records and will provide access to the record upon request per the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act. The Department has a New Mexico inmate locator that record seekers can use to retrieve information about who’s in custody. For other related inquiries, like how to find someone in jail, call the Corrections Department at (505) 827-8645. Alternatively, a record seeker can retrieve information regarding New Mexico inmates housed in federal prisons by conducting a federal inmate search using the inmate locator available on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Inmate records are considered public in the United States and, therefore, are made available by both traditional governmental agencies as well as third-party websites and organizations. Third-party websites may offer an easier means to search, as these services do not face geographical limitations. However, because third-party sites are not government-sponsored, the information obtained through them may vary from official channels. To find inmate records using third-party aggregate sites, requesting parties must provide:
- The location of the sought-after record, including state, county, and city where the inmate resides.
- The name of the person listed in the record, unless it is a juvenile.
How to Find Someone in Jail in New Mexico
The question of how to find someone in jail mostly comes up when people are trying to find out what jail someone is in or if the person is still in jail. Requesters can look through the inmate rosters on County Sheriff’s websites to find who’s in custody. For instance, the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office provides a Detention Center Detainee Lookup tool for individuals seeking to know how to find out why someone is in jail. Record seekers can conduct a booking search by inmate number, name, gender, age range, or release date to find an offender’s personal, physical, booking, and charge details.
Record seekers who cannot find an inmate at the state prison or county jail can check the federal prison. An interested person can use the inmate locator available on the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website to conduct a federal inmate search. Contact the BOP at (202) 307-3198 to know how to find someone in jail.
How to Perform a New Mexico Jail Inmate Search
The New Mexico Corrections Department website features an inmate lookup tool that interested persons can find a person in jail. To conduct a New Mexico inmate search, the user will be required to know and provide the inmate's full name or NMCD number. Information regarding an inmate's custody status, sentence, or legal status may also be obtained using this New Mexico lookup tool.
How to Send Money to an Inmate in New Mexico Prisons or Jails
Only persons included on an inmate's approved visitation list may send money to them. All monies must be sent via money order using the inmate's full name, personal details, and their designated five-digit Corrections number. Inmates will be notified of their payment via receipt, and the payment will be made into the inmate's commissary account, which can be used to make jail purchases.
To send items other than money, friends and family of incarcerated individuals are advised to contact the jail staff of the inmate's facility for details regarding allowed and disallowed items. Items mailed to the inmates that do not meet suitability requirements may be confiscated or mailed back to the sender (if a return address is indicated).
How to Get Approved to Visit an Inmate in New Mexico Prisons and Jails
Visitation guidelines and schedules are often specific to the facility where the inmate is located. However, the state corrections department established general criteria and procedures for inmate visitation, which apply to all facilities within its jurisdiction. Family, friends, and other intending visitors are advised to study the state visitation guidelines through the online prison lookup tool.
Inmates are required to submit a visitation list on which all persons who are allowed to see them will be included. To be listed, intending visitors must complete an application form CD-100201.1, after which the applicant will be notified of their approval or rejection. Subsequently, approved visitors will be issued a permanent visiting card after the RDC's initial 30-day period. Upon entering a facility, visitors will be subject to routine searches and will be required to provide a suitable picture ID.
One-time visitors, prospective employers, persons traveling over 500 miles, and law enforcement agents may submit a special visit request form CD-100201.3, while an inmate's attorney must provide a 24-hour notice before arriving at the facility. Non-adult visitors must be escorted by approved persons above 18.
How to Find a County Inmate Roster in New Mexico
Typically, a record seeker can find an inmate roster on County websites. The way to search for inmate roster in New Mexico varies from county to county. For instance, record seekers can find inmate rosters in Sandoval County at the Detention Center Department by clicking on the inmate lookup menu at the bottom of the page. In contrast, record seekers can find inmate rosters in San Miguel County by visiting the sheriff’s website and clicking on the “SMCDC Detainee Lookup” menu on the left bar. Record seekers can find jail roster mugshots on the San Miguel County Sheriff’s website, but they are unavailable via the Sandoval County inmate lookup tool. Contact the county office where an inmate is housed to know how to find out if someone is in jail.
How to Contact New Mexico Inmates
While inmates are generally disallowed from all forms of electronic correspondence, including phone calls and emails, inmates may be allowed to receive mail. The requirements for inmate mail often vary with each facility. As such, the corrections staff of the institution should be contacted for information regarding the process.
However, as per state guidelines, inmate letters must be written on single-layer paper and mailed in similar envelopes. Padded, colored, and embellished papers/envelopes are discouraged, and letters should preferably be free from extraneous material.
Inmate mail should be sent using their full name and designated NMDC number to the P.O. Box of the facility where they are housed.
How to Perform a New Mexico Prison Inmate Search
A requester can use the inmate search tool to perform a free New Mexico inmate search by name for currently incarcerated individuals. Alternatively, the requester may call (505) 383-2804 to obtain information on inmate housing, current sentence, detainee NMDC number, court information, and similar inquiries. Information unavailable through either of these channels may be requested specifically from the staff of the facility where the inmate is housed. Contact the New Mexico Corrections Department at (505) 827-8645 to make inquiries on how to find out if someone is in jail.
New Mexico State Prisons and County Jails: Understanding the Difference
The New Mexico state prison and county jail system is a large and complex one, with numerous facilities spread across the state. The majority of the state's prisoners are housed in the state prison system, which is made up of 6 different prisons. The remaining inmates are housed in the county jail system, which consists of 33 different jails.
The New Mexico state prison system is overseen by the New Mexico Department of Corrections, which is responsible for the care, custody, and control of all inmates within the state prison system. The department operates under a number of different divisions, each of which has its own specific area of responsibility. The New Mexico state prison houses approximately 6,700 inmates. In 2018-2019, the daily population for males in the state prison was 6,443 and 768 for females.
The Operations Division is responsible for the day-to-day operations of all six state prisons, as well as providing support to the county jails. The division is divided into a number of different sections, each of which is responsible for a specific area of prison operations.
The Programs and Services Division is responsible for providing incarcerated individuals with the programs and services they need to successfully reintegrate into society upon their release from prison. The division offers a wide variety of programs, including education, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services.
How Do I Find Out an Inmate Release Date?
The best way to find a state prison inmate release date is to contact the facility where the inmate is being held. Interested persons may also contact the Sheriff’s Office in the county where a county jail inmate is being held. However, suppose making an inmate release date public compromises the individual’s safety. In that case, the record custodian will only let the inmate’s immediate family members, attorneys, and authorized government officials. Alternatively, record seekers can use the New Mexico locator, which is available on most law enforcement websites, to find inmate release dates.
Facilities Operated by the New Mexico Department of Corrections
The New Mexico Corrections Department oversees the affairs of all NMCD correctional facilities, including state-operated and privately-owned detention centers, jails, and correctional facilities. While most facilities are operated based on the housing facility, resident inmates, and the initiative of corrections staff, the state corrections department implements statewide guidelines that form the basis of most jail-related operations. However, the New Mexico corrections department does not have jurisdiction over local correctional facilities in the cities and counties. Queries relating to county or city inmates may be made to county agencies or municipal agencies. There are six state-run correctional facilities and penitentiaries in New Mexico and five privately owned facilities, including:
Central New Mexico Correctional Facility - Level I
3201 Highway 314 Southwest
Los Lunas, NM 87031
Phone: (505) 865-2728
Central New Mexico Correctional Facility - Level II
1525 Morris Road,
PO Drawer 1328
Los Lunas, NM 87031
Phone: (505) 383-3359
Penitentiary of New Mexico
4311 State Highway 14
P.O. Box 1059
Santa Fe, NM 87504-1059
Phone: (505) 827-8201
Fax: (505) 827-8283
Roswell Correctional Center
578 West Chickasaw Road
Hagerman, NM 88232
Phone: (575) 625-3100
Fax: (575) 625-3190
Springer Correctional Center
P.O. Box 10
Springer, NM 87747
Phone: (575) 483-3100
Fax: (575) 483-5030
Southern New Mexico Correctional Facility
1983 Joe R. Silva Boulevard
P.O. Box 639
Las Cruces, NM 88004-0639
Phone: (575) 523-3200
Fax: (575) 523-3349
Western New Mexico Correctional Facility
PO Drawer 250
Grants, NM 87020
Phone: (505) 876-8300
Fax: (505) 876-8200
Guadalupe County Correctional Facility - The Geo Group, Inc.
1039 Agua Negra Road
P.O. Box 520
Santa Rosa, NM 88435
Phone: (575) 472-1001
Fax: (575) 472-1006
Lea County Correctional Facility - The Geo Group, Inc.
6900 West Millen
Hobbs, NM 88244
Phone: (575) 392-4055
Fax: (575) 392-2237
Northeast New Mexico Detention Facility - The Geo Group, Inc.
185 Dr. Michael Jenkins Road
Clayton, NM 88415
Phone: (575) 374-4005
Fax: (575) 374-4010
Northwest New Mexico Correctional Center - CoreCivic
1700 East Old Highway 66
P.O. Box 800
Grants, NM 87020
Phone: (505) 287-2941
Fax: (505) 285-6828
Otero County Prison Facility
10 McGregor Range Road
Chaparral, NM 88081
Phone: (575) 824-4884
Fax: (575) 824-3158
Contact any of these facilities to know how to find out if someone is in jail.
