ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Judges in New Mexico’s most populous county will soon be using a new risk assessment tool to help determine conditions of release for defendants awaiting trial.
State and metropolitan court officials gathered Wednesday to discuss the new initiative, which will begin later this month.
The assessment will take into account several factors, including the likelihood that a defendant will commit a new crime if released and whether that person will show up for future court hearings.
The tool also flags defendants who present an elevated risk of committing a violent crime.
Officials say the tool is more up to date than the risk assessment that the courts have been using since 2015.
The assessment system is being used or is in the process of being implemented in nearly three dozen jurisdictions across the country, including in neighboring Arizona.
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