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Update on Second Chance!

byte301

Crusader
This from The Albuquerque Journal:

Inmates Pulled From Second Chance

By Jeff Proctor
Journal Staff Writer
During the past week, county officials from around the state have been removing their inmates from the controversial Second Chance Center, which the city of Albuquerque plans to kick out of the old West Side jail building at the end of the month.
It is unclear how many inmates have been moved out of the center, which city officials have ordered out of the old jail by Jan. 31. The center has violated its lease agreement by housing violent offenders and failing to make improvements to the building, according to city officials.
Second Chance officials said 37 inmates remain at the old jail. Early last week, the center said it had 46 inmates. Two weeks ago, city officials estimated there were about 65 inmates there.
Second Chance President Joy Westrum has refused interview requests since last week and has asked that all questions be sent to her by e-mail.
She maintained in an e-mail response that Second Chance has "not taken anyone outside the parameters set by the lease." She included in her response a section from Second Chance's lease with the city that says the center "may not be used primarily for a jail or incarceration facility."
That's exactly what city officials say Second Chance has done.
Taos County has decided to pull its inmates from Second Chance, 8th Judicial District Attorney Donald Gallegos said Friday.
"I spoke with the chairman of the county commission, and he told me that once he heard about what was going on (at Second Chance) with all the problems there, we didn't want to take any chances," Gallegos said. "He said the commission had decided to pull everyone we had there out."
He did not know exactly how many inmates from Taos are housed at Second Chance or whether they had been moved as of Friday evening. But he did say the commission has also decided to terminate a contract it had with the center to send inmates there.
Socorro County has also scrapped its contract with Second Chance, according to an e-mail obtained by the Journal.
"Socorro County entered into a trial contract (maximum $20,000) with Second Chance in July of this year for the purpose of sending male inmates for rehabilitation and were sentenced by a judge," said the e-mail, which was sent by commission Chairman Jay Santillanes to Albuquerque officials. "Due to financial considerations, the trial contract was not renewed; then last month Second Chance presented a new contract that they would accept overflow inmates (male and female) for less than other facilities were charging."
That contradicts previous statements by Westrum, who has said the center has not been "jail shopping."
And in her e-mail response to the Journal's questions Friday, Westrum denied Santillanes' statement.
"The prior contract we had ran out and a new one needed to be executed," she wrote. "They wanted one for the women as well."
Santillanes could not be reached to comment on Westrum's statement.
Westrum has said she does not know what the center's current eligibility criteria are.
According to Second Chance's eligibility criteria as posted on its Web site, the center is only supposed to take male prisoners who have not been convicted of a violent or sexual offense and have been sentenced to the facility by a judge. Inmates must complete a six-month rehabilitation program before being released.
Albuquerque Chief Public Safety Officer Pete Dinelli said Westrum has been "misleading people all along" about Second Chance.
"She submitted a bid to house overflow inmates," he said, referring to the second contract presented to Socorro County. "I find that very interesting. The bottom line is we want them out. It's our building, and we want them out."
Socorro County detention officers picked up the county's final remaining inmate from Second Chance last week, according to detention officer Theresa Lopez.
Thirteen Socorro County inmates have been sent to Second Chance during the past year, Lopez said Monday. Only one has completed the program offered by the secure rehabilitation facility for drug offenders.
In her e-mail, Westrum included what she indicated was an excerpt from Second Chance's contract with Socorro County. It read: "Center shall perform a program of rehabilitation for the entire stay of the resident. The acceptance of anyone to any program shorter than 6 months is at the discretion of Second Chance after an evaluation is completed for the individual."
It is not clear whether the excerpt was from the original contract or the one Second Chance was trying to negotiate with the county.
"The false reports and rumors being circulated by the media concerning the (Second Chance Center), has concerned our clients. When all is said and done, we fully expect to resolve every one of those concerns," Westrum wrote."

Can't wait to see how Joy spins this! hahaha
 

Dulloldfart

Squirrel Extraordinaire
This from The Albuquerque Journal:

"Inmates Pulled From Second Chance
...
Second Chance President Joy Westrum has refused interview requests since last week and has asked that all questions be sent to her by e-mail.
..."

Can't wait to see how Joy spins this! hahaha

If she is only doing interviews by e-mail I would guess that someone else - like PR OSA Int - is doing the spinning now.

Paul
 

byte301

Crusader
Thanks, smitty. I forgot to include the date.

You're right, Paul. Joy hasn't been seen lately. :D

That Taos is not sending anymore prisoners is really good news. We thought they'd be the toughest nut to crack since they are overflowing with druggies up north.

I think Second Chance is history in New Mexico.:p
 

Iknowtoomuch

Gold Meritorious Patron
I don't know what the church would do at this point to stop the boot out from happening now?
But this is great news.
 

byte301

Crusader
Someone told me that Joy was going to keep appealing. Don't know who or what she could appeal to since she obviously broke the lease.

I guess she could take it to court but I don't think it would do her much good. It doesn't look like there will be any prisoners in Second Chance by the end of the month so how is she going to pay the bills? If there are any prisoners left we will hear about it and which counties those prisoners are from. Then we'll know where to concentrate our harpoons.

If Joy isn't already gone she should prolly just go ahead and start packing. On to another scam somewhere else no doubt.
 
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