Issue Position: Law Enforcement
Law Enforcement
As a formal federal prosecutor and New Mexico Attorney General, I've seen the impact of crime in our communities first hand. Keeping our streets clean requires coordination between all levels of government. In my role as U.S. Senator, I am committed to rooting out problems in the justice system overall while providing law enforcement with the tools they need to get the job done on the ground.
Getting Drugs Off Our Streets
I know the toll that drug abuse can take on our communities. I also know that the input and involvement of community members and organizations can be crucial in addressing this problem. More than many other states, New Mexico faces a myriad problems associated with drug smuggling. The Mexico-New Mexico international border is approximately 180 miles of open, uninhabited desert, leaving numerous points of entry difficult to navigate. Heroin and other drugs have steadily become more available, as made evident by the increase in seizures and the decrease in illegal drug prices. As a member of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, I am pressing for international cooperation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.
Reforming the Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system in the United States is in need of reform. The U.S. imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other country in the world, and the last comprehensive study completed on repeat offenders showed that two-thirds of ex-offenders come back into contact with the criminal justice system within three years of being released. These facts are astonishing and show the drastic need to address the shortfalls in the criminal justice system and assess where change is needed. I believe that we can work to improve the conditions of our corrections facilities and offer treatment options to offenders who want to improve their lives.