Bernalillo County, New Mexico

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Metropolitan Detention Center is to protect the public and provide a safe and secure environment of both inmates and staff under the principles of direct supervision and in accordance with the American Correctional Association (ACA) standards.

MDC is located at 100 Deputy Dean Miera Dr. SW in Albuquerque on the far West Side.

It is ranked 39th in size and considered a mega jail among the 3,300 jails in the United States. The population of this jail changes regularly as new individuals are arrested and old detainees are either transferred to prison or released. On average, 40,000 inmates are processed annually through the MDC and more than 11 million people are processed through the U.S. jail system each year.

Services (What We Do):

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center works with the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners, County Manager's Office and the community to provide safe and efficient solutions for the safety, health and welfare of inmates housed in the county jail. MDC provides comprehensive health care and inmate programming to maintain inmate health and reduce recidivism.

Enacting Legislation:

• United States Constitution Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishment
  and Fourteenth Amendment prohibits any State from due process of law or deny any person with its jurisdiction the
  equal protection of the laws.
• New Mexico Constitution Article II, Section 13 Bail; Excessive Fines; Cruel and Unusual Punishment and Section 18 Due
  Process; Equal Protection: Sex Discrimination.
• New Mexico State Statutes Annotated 1978 Section 33-3-1, 33-3-24, 33-2-43 and 33-2-44.  Correctional Institutions
  Common Jails; operation by Sheriff, jail Administrator or Independent Contractor.

MDC Location Map