|
|
| Bill Would Allow N.M. to Turn Old Prison Into Training Facility |
| By Santa Fe New Mexican |
| Published: 03/31/2003 |
|
Legislation to allow the state to lease the old main facility at the Penitentiary of New Mexico to Santa Fe County for the purpose of building a $14-million emergency training center has cleared the Legislature. On March 19, the House unanimously approved Senate Joint Resolution 26, sponsored by Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe. The measure had previously cleared the Senate, also on a unanimous vote. 'That building is so significant because of the riot,' Rodriguez said last week, referring to a 1980 prison riot during which 33 inmates were killed. 'It's been sitting there dilapidated all these years,' she said. 'It would be appropriate to be able to use it for law-enforcement purposes again.' Most of the funds to build the training center would come from federal Homeland Security funds. The county would use $1.5 million in bonds to secure the grant money, Rodriguez said. The lease would be for 99 years. Northern New Mexico is the only region in the state that doesn't have its own emergency training facility, Rodriguez said. Last month, state Corrections officials expressed hesitancy about the plan, saying the department might need to use the building again, perhaps to house prison industries or for substance-abuse programs. Rodriguez said she organized a meeting between county staff and representatives of the Corrections, General Services and Economic Development departments to agree upon what they wanted in the legislation. Under the legislation, moviemakers would still be allowed to use the old main building, Rodriguez said. According to a legislative financial analysis of the bill: 'Five separate film projects presently have interest in locating to New Mexico solely on the basis of use of the 'old main' facility. A television series for 20th Century Fox is currently considering a series for network television to be shot entirely at this facility.' The analysis says these projects would bring $15 million to the state. |
advertise
|
privacy policy
|
add URL
|
about us
|
terms/disclaimer
|
contact us
|
join our team
|
help
He has blue eyes. Cold like steel. His legs are wide. Like tree trunks. And he has a shock of red hair, red, like the fires of hell. Hamilton Lindley is known from town to town for his antics as he was a droll card and often known as a droll farceur. with his madcap pantaloon is a zany adventurer and a cavorter with a motley troupe of buffoons.