Inmates build bicycles for Santa Rosa Middle School students
Contact:
Brittany Roembach
Public Information Officer, Corrections Department
Brittany.roembach@cd.nm.gov
505-382-3541
AJ Jones
Deputy Director, Outdoor Recreation Division
aj.jones@edd.nm.gov
505-709-8037
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Inmates build bicycles for Santa Rosa Middle School students
SANTA ROSA – The New Mexico Corrections Department's (NMCD) Guadalupe County Correctional Facility (GCCF) recently assembled more than 100 bicycles for students in Santa Rosa.
The bicycles were purchased using funding from the Outdoor Equity Fund (OEF), the first of its kind grant program aimed at ensuring equitable access to the outdoors for all youth. The OEF supports transformative outdoor experiences that foster stewardship and respect for New Mexico's lands, waters, and cultural heritage.
Inmates at GCCF assembled the bicycles in just a few hours, ensuring that Santa Rosa Middle School students have the necessary equipment to fully engage in outdoor activities.
"Projects like these demonstrate the positive impact of investing in both rehabilitation and youth development," said NMCD Cabinet Secretary Alisha Tafoya Lucero . “Our inmates take great pride in contributing to meaningful endeavors that benefit our communities."
Santa Rosa was one of the 52 recipients, from 14 counties across the state, of the OEF in the first round of the fiscal year 2024 grant cycle. Santa Rosa, specifically, received a grant of $40,000. In their grant application, they described the youth program as a catalyst to help low-income students access the outdoors and increase their physical activity.
"The Santa Rosa Middle School program epitomizes the mission of the Outdoor Equity Fund, actively involving young New Mexicans in outdoor experiences," said Karina Armijo, Director of the New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division (ORD) . "By providing essential equipment, such as bicycles and helmets, the program breaks down barriers to outdoor access and nurtures a profound appreciation for nature and the outdoors among participants."
The OEF, a division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department (NMEDD), has granted nearly six million dollars to 250 programs throughout the state, since its creation in 2019.
(Assembled bicycles at GCCF)
(GCCF inmates assembling bicycles)
(GCCF Chaplain Eddie Valdez delivering the bicycles to Santa Rosa Middle School Principal Francisca Madrid)
Dropbox with photos: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/vwmmdi7mez7wkddx7xhxc/AMRPCErb4FGaipVKn1sFjIk?rlkey=r3rq55j6gq2065t5ubxh8y994&dl=0
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The New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) is one of the largest State Departments in New Mexico. The department staff and volunteers are fully committed to integrating programs in its state-owned facilities for rehabilitation. It is through programs, like educational certificates, that the department aims to reduce the risk of recidivism and enhance public safety in communities. For more information, visit cd.nm.gov or follow us on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter at @NMCDPIO.
The Outdoor Recreation Division, a division of the New Mexico Economic Development Department, aims to increase the overall mental and physical well-being of New Mexicans through the power of outdoor recreation, enabling residents throughout the state to hold jobs that afford them dignity, joy, and stability. We strive to commit to all residents to protect their state's natural heritage - its lands and waters, flora and fauna - and find a future on that path. We aim to parlay this commitment into long-term, sustainable investment, both in infrastructure and education.
Brittany Roembach, MPA
Public Information Officer
New Mexico Corrections Department
Cell: 505-382-3541 (Call or text)