By C1 Staff
SANTA FE, N.M. — A new program in New Mexico offers a promise of limited freedom for prison gang members.
KOAT reports that if the former gang members denounce their affiliation, they can find themselves transferred from segregation to general population.
Currently, there are 65 inmates in the program, with another dozen going through a screening process.
The department’s secretary, Gregg Marcantel, says it’s too soon to tell how effective the program is, but he’s hopeful that it will make neighborhoods safer by cutting down on the number of gang-affiliated inmates being released.
“This program is about the safety of our neighborhoods,” Marcantel said. “Then they’re less likely to make the poor, selfish decisions that got them through those prison gates to begin with.”