Some Question Study Suggesting Crime, Jail Population Linked

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A number of professionals in Albuquerque's criminal justice system are criticizing a study that linked the city's crime rate with its jail population. The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/2dtu9HL ) that some legal professionals are calling the study, which found there was a strong inverse relationship between the declining jail population and rising automobile thefts in Albuquerque, overly simplistic. New Mexico Criminal Defense Lawyers Association President Matt Coyte says the study's simplistic conclusion is concerning for legal professionals that have long looked to solve overcrowding at Bernalillo County's jail. Coyte says the study failed to look at older spikes in crime and is instead drawing from a small time period in which it is easy to draw conclusions. The study's conductor says his report was exploratory and meant to raise questions.