Part of New Mexico’s crime problem could be decreased through access to better housing and healthcare rather than through incarceration, according to New Mexico advocacy groups.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico held a panel discussion Thursday to discuss how and why it would like more emphasis on helping people through hard times instead of harsher penalties.

“We feel and see the ongoing struggles every day that everyone else does when it comes to things like substance abuse disorder, housing crisis, behavioral health crisis, violence and crime,” ACLU-NM Director of Public Policy Nayomi Valdez said. “We know that the solution to these complex and deeply systemic issues is not mass incarceration. In fact, it’s just the opposite.” 

The ACLU-NM hopes the legislature will continue its investments in behavioral health, housing diversion programs, treatment programs and education, Valdez said.

“We must resist the temptation to look for quick fix policies in the form of punishment, more law enforcement, criminalization, and things that ultimately harm our communities. And don’t make us any safer,” she said.

Valdez referenced  some pre-filed legislation that seeks harsher penalties for crime, including bringing back the death penalty and expanding the penalties for felons found in possession of a firearm. 

The ACLU-NM initiatives point to more access to medical assistance including psychotherapy for substance use disorder and for making housing easier to obtain for those in need.

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Someone who knows about that firsthand is Vanessa Hullinger.

Her son Noah fell into a bad crowd after transferring to a new high school in February 2020 and began using alcohol and other drugs.

His grades began to drop and he began to make poor decisions.

Hullinger tried to get Noah into therapy but there was a waiting list.

“A few months later, he finally was able to see a therapist, but was quickly referred to another who’s best specialized in pediatric drug abuse,” Hullinger said. “We were placed on another extremely long waiting list. His drug experimentation quickly turned into addiction. There were limited resources, lots of waiting lists and what I felt was nowhere to turn for help.”

Then on Oct. 29, 2020, Hullinger got a call informing her that Noah had been shot. He was 17 years old.

“I walked in (to his hospital room) and saw my Noah barely conscious, I was able to kiss him. Tell him I loved him and to keep fighting before they rolled him back for emergency life-saving surgery. He had been shot four times. He suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding and a fractured pelvis,” Hullinger said.

Hullinger found out later that the shooting was a “drug deal that turned into a shootout where another was fatally wounded,” she said.

“My world completely crumbled,” she said.

After two years and two trials, Noah was sentenced to 29 years in jail.

Hullinger has two younger children who are still traumatized and have since changed schools.

“I have a daily battle with anxiety and depression. How do I continue to raise my younger children with this intense fear that this could happen to them?” Hullinger said. “My story is not unique. I share this story with far too many other people.”

Hullinger is an advocate for young people and parents who are navigating the juvenile justice system and she added what New Mexico needs to prevent what happened to her and her children from happening again.

“We need better access to mental health services, drug rehabilitation programs and resources for families who are financially struggling,” she said. “No family should feel this loss. No mother should lose their child to guns, drugs or prison.”