The New Mexico Parole Board is an independent agency that reports to the Governor. The agency has statutory authority to grant, deny or revoke parole (31-21-25 NMSA 1978). The agency also investigates and reports cases of executive clemency at the request of the Governor (31-21-17 NMSA 1978). The agency notifies victims through the District Attorneys Victims Advocate of scheduled parole hearings for offenders and meets with them at their request.

The New Mexico Parole Board consists of fifteen members appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate (31-21-23 NMSA 1978). An Executive Director appointed by the Governor heads the agency. A Deputy Director and three dedicated and professional individuals assist the Executive Director in accomplishing the mission of the agency.

The mission of the New Mexico Parole Board is to provide for the public safety, to assist in the probability of adult offenders becoming law-abiding citizens and to assist the New Mexico Department of Corrections in reducing recidivism. The Agency accomplishes its mission through a balance of parole conditions, supervised enforcement, program services and interaction with the judiciary by working closely with the Corrections Department.

The New Mexico Parole Board is responsible for conducting timely parole hearings and parole revocation hearings for adult offenders. An average of 300 hearings are held each month. These hearings are conducted weekly at several correctional facilities throughout the state by parole board members. The goals of the Agency are to assist the Corrections Department in its efforts to reduce recidivism and provide outreach to advocacy groups and citizens on the role and responsibilities of the New Mexico Parole Board. The Agency seeks assistance from groups and individuals to further the goals of the New Mexico Parole Board.