Prison conjugal visits under review

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The state of New Mexico spends nearly $30 million a year to collect more than $130 million in child support from deadbeat parents.

But one small group of parents in the state will never have to pay to support their children. In fact, the state goes out of its way to help these people have children they will never be able to support.

They are prison inmates, and some are rapists and killers.

“I am a little surprised,” said Rep. Al Park, D-Albuquerque, who is co-chair of the state Legislature’s Corrections Committee. “I pay for my kids, you pay for your kids. Everyone should pay for their kids.”

Take, for example, Michael Guzman.

In 1981, he kidnapped two young women at knifepoint near the Frontier Restaurant across from the University of New Mexico and took then to Tijeras Canyon. There he raped both and killed one of them. Guzman tried to kill the other woman – stabbing her 33 times – but she survived.

Guzman was convicted and sentenced to death. But in the interim 30 years, Guzman has been married twice and fathered four sons while in prison.

That’s because then-Gov. Toney Anaya commuted Guzman’s death sentence in 1986, which allowed the inmate out of the maximum security facility. That also meant he could earn conjugal visits through good behavior.

Once inmates earn the privilege, they gain access to counseling about sexually transmitted diseases, condoms and as many as 12 hours alone with a legal spouse in a specially constructed portable building.

Currently 254 inmates out of about 6,500 across the state have earned the privilege.

New Mexico is one of six states including California, Connecticut, Mississippi, New York and Washington that allows the practice.

“When you look at a case like inmate Guzman’s, I understand the flags that go up for people,” said Greg Marcantel, head of the state’s Corrections Department.

Marcantel said he wants to take a close look at the program.

“What I want to know is what does this look like in our state in terms of births, in terms of potential communicable diseases?” he said. “What does this look like in terms of a public safety risk?”

He said he wants to avoid making knee-jerk changes based on popular perceptions.

“It provides a goal to have that level of contact with your family,” Marcantel, said. “That forces you to act in a safe and appropriate manner while you’re in prison.”