A long-standing plan to build a modern forensic unit that will be operated by the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute may be a step closer to reality with significant funding from state lawmakers.
The Institute, located at 3695 Hot Springs Boulevard in Las Vegas, is the only state-operated and owned psychiatric hospital in New Mexico.
Opened in 1889 and originally called the Territorial Insane Asylum, the Institute treats sometimes violent offenders who have been arrested for a felony-level crime to determine whether they’re competent to stand trial.
Those patients are typically held for a 90-day period before a determination is made regarding their competency.
Members of the New Mexico State Legislature have given their approval to a big $68 million capital outlay allowing for the planning, design, and construction of a forensic unit, which will be located near the Institute’s main campus. The funding will also pay for the furnishing and equipping of the new facility.
The $68 million capital outlay for the new forensic unit is the largest such outlay for a series of proposed projects in San Miguel County approved by lawmakers and comprising a total of just over $90 million.
By Garry Boulard
