The San Juan County Misdemeanor Compliance program monitors misdemeanor offenders’ compliance with the terms of probation, thereby improving the rate of probationers’ continued access to and completion of community services intended to encourage behavior change.

The San Juan County Misdemeanor Compliance Program has been in operation since October 2002. The Program exists to supervise adult offenders of misdemeanor crimes sentenced primarily from the Magistrate Courts in San Juan County and operates with one (1) Supervisor, five (5) Compliance Officers and two (2) Support Staff.

Funding is provided through San Juan County, Local DWI Program funds, and program fees collected from offenders.

Basic Criteria

Offenders must meet the following minimum criteria for participation in the program:

• Be authorized by the Magistrate Court system.
• Agree to all conditions of the contract as mandated by the court and all rules of the Compliance Program.
• Must maintain gainful employment, be actively seeking employment and/or be attending an approved educational institution.
• Offenders must commit to active participation in his or her own progress.

Though a variety of monitoring levels and techniques are employed, the offender must take a major portion of the responsibility for his or her own progress. The Compliance Program is designed to be a system that encourages and rewards self-discipline.

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In 2015, the San Juan County Misdemeanor Compliance Program was the first compliance program in the state to receive Accreditation status awarded by "New Mexico Counties-Misdemeanor Compliance Accreditation Council”.  Since that time, they have continued to achieve re-accreditation every three years. 

The Mission of the San Juan County DWI Detention/Treatment/Aftercare Program is to reduce further incidence of drinking and driving among DWI offenders and to impact the community at large in a positive manner by providing best practices treatment in the field of substance abuse to clients of the DWI Center; to provide for the safety and security of incarcerated inmates by maintaining care, custody and control; and to provide follow-up support, accountability, and advocacy for families and clients who have completed the incarceration and treatment program components.

The program administers clear, punitive consequences combined with quality treatment and aftercare programs which offer counseling, education and case management to encourage a responsible choice by the offender to not drink and drive.

The program provides:

• A 28-day treatment program for offenders housed in a minimum security detention facility.
  • During their 28-day stay, offenders participate in daily treatment/educational sessions.
• Participants are released with a personalized action plan highlighting continuing aftercare, and are monitored throughout this aftercare component by case managers for up to one year.
• The aftercare component, in part, consists of group meetings and individual sessions with local service providers.
• This component may include alcohol and drug treatment, domestic violence services and a range of mental health, educational, and vocational services.

The San Juan County DWI Program provides a proven alternative to traditional sentencing for DWI offenders. The San Juan County DWI Center accepts offenders convicted of misdemeanor DWI from courts in San Juan County and, on a space-available basis, other New Mexico courts. (Courts outside of San Juan County must have a fully executed Memorandum of Agreement with San Juan County in order to sentence offenders to the San Juan County DWI Center.)

Building on the successes of the San Juan County DWI Center, the Mission of the San Juan County Axis Program is to increase recovery potential for female substance abusing offenders within the San Juan County criminal justice system and to impact the community at large in a positive manner by providing best practices treatment in the field of substance abuse to clients of the Axis Program; to provide for the safety and security of incarcerated inmates by maintaining care, custody and control; and to provide follow-up support, accountability, and advocacy for families and clients who have completed the incarceration and treatment program components.

The Axis Program accepts female substance-abusing offenders convicted within the San Juan County court system. The jail-based substance addiction treatment program combines clear punitive consequences with evidenced-based treatment strategies and case-managed aftercare to support clients' sobriety and recovery. The program objectives are clear: maintain a safe and secure environment, provide the "tools" necessary for addiction recovery, motivate the client toward behavior change, and appropriately support clients' navigation through the aftercare process.

Axis provides 60 days of gender appropriate inpatient substance abuse treatment preceded and followed by intensive case management. The treatment strategy, sensitive to the engagement level and ability of the clients, includes individual and group therapy, life skills, substance abuse and health education, and 12-Step programs. Additionally, community agencies such as SANE, FCC, ad Domestic Violence Court voluntarily present information during treatment intended to assist and support clients upon their return to the community. Four Corners Human Resources provide extensive assistance with resume construction and interviewing skills. The Program utilizes the Community Reinforcement Approach in helping clients identify individualized strategies to avoid alcohol and drug abuse within the context of Motivational Interviewing.

 

Nexus, a 10-day transitional program, is designed to assist clients who successfully complete the secure inpatient phase by smoothing the transition from residential treatment to intensive outpatient treatment. Transition services include activities designed to help clients to work, to secure and maintain a residence, to maintain health, to assume family responsibilities, to be involved in prosocial activities, and to be productive members of society. Nexus is comprised of a transitional coordinator and two peer mentors.

Following the 10-day transitional program, clients complete sixteen weeks of Intensive Outpatient Programming based on the Matrix Model followed by a minimum of nine months of aftercare. With the exception of case management, Presbyterian Medical Services provides these services.

State and local service agencies have created a collaborative strategy that leverages multi-agency resources for pre-admission screening and continuing care / follow-up. Collaborating entities include various departments within San Juan County, Totah Behavioral Health Authority, Presbyterian Medical Services, San Juan Safe Communities Initiative, CYFD, Drug Court, Adult Probation, Farmington Municipal Court Services, Misdemeanor Compliance, and Pre-trial Services.