New Mexico inmate search

In New Mexico, local detention centers are county or city operations. These county or city jails are outside the jurisdiction of the New Mexico Corrections Department. Every local government handles its own facility, booking desk, and rules for detainees.

One example is Bernalillo County, which runs the Metropolitan Detention Center. The Valencia County Detention Center is operated by Valencia County. Through the main county phone line, you can reach that jail's Booking and Records department. Bond amounts for the charges may be available from staff there.

For visitation, bonding out, detainee mail, and adding money to detainee books, you'll need the specific county website.

New Mexico counties do not all run online detainee lists the same way. Your first step should be checking the county website; a direct call to the jail is your other choice.

Bernalillo County has 2 separate web pages you can view. Current detainees appear on the county's Metropolitan Detention Center custody list. Recent releases are listed on the Metropolitan Detention Center release list too.

In other counties, detainee checks are done by calling. On its county site, Valencia County offers a Detainees Information page, though no roster link is included. Use the main county line to reach its Booking and Records department. When a booking is very recent, phone the jail while staff wrap up the booking steps at the jail.

State prisons are managed by the New Mexico Corrections Department, or NMCD. To find people in state custody, use the NMCD Offender Search. Law enforcement agencies and the general public can get state offender information from this tool.

County jail lookups are not the same as state searches. City or county detention facilities fall outside NMCD's authority. Police bring a person to a local jail first after an arrest. Only offenders under state authority after sentencing appear in the state locator. A person arrested last night won't appear in the NMCD database, so you'll have to search county records.

New Mexico VINE is a computer service that's free, confidential, and available 24 hours. The service gives out crime victim information and custody status updates. Alerts can come to you by phone, computer, or text message once you register.

You can also call the toll-free VINE line at 877-551-8463. Press 0 on that call if you need a live operator. For additional support, call NMCD Victim Services at 877-842-8464. The NMCD VINE system has been undergoing upgrades.

Registering with the prosecuting District Attorney is also a must for victims of a violent crime who want written notices.

Release after an arrest in New Mexico is governed by court rules and state laws. Under the New Mexico Courts system, 3 main rules govern custody decisions:

• Rule 5-401 on Pretrial Release
• Rule 5-403 on Revocation and Modification of a Release Order
• Rule 5-409 on Pretrial Detention

Bail is also handled by judges under Chapter 31, Article 3 NMSA 1978. If a bond applies, your options are posting a property bond or a surety bond. Bond amounts for the charges may be shared by local jail staff.

State law allows commercial bail under the Bail Bondsmen Licensing Law, Section 59A-51-1 NMSA 1978, plus state rule 13.20.2 NMAC. Bond posted with propertysmen, solicitors, and limited surety agents are regulated by the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance. Through power of attorney, an insurer appoints the limited surety agent who signs court bail bonds.