A coalition of civil liberties, human rights and faith-based groups in New Mexico has created a new litmus test for criminal justice legislation designed to encourage evidence-based proposals and question highly politicized calls for harsh penalties.
New Mexico ACLU Public Policy Director Steven Robert Allen says members of New Mexico Safe coalition plan to assign letter grades to major criminal justice bills before proposals reach initial committee hearings early next year.
He says the group's four-point evaluations are designed to focus conversations on crime-reducing strategies that have a proven track record for improving public safety and make fiscal sense amid a state budget crisis.
Participants in the effort include the League of Women Voters, the Albuquerque NAACP, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Association of Social Workers and more.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.