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Santa Fe, New Mexico is the oldest state capital of all the state capitals in the United States. It was founded by colonists from Spain in 1610. The name Santa Fe is also linked to the trail bearing its name The Santa Fe Trail was the nineteenth century transportation route used by settlers beginning in 1821. The original Trail ran through the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The Trail had been the major trade route for Spain from Mexico City northward into the present-day United States from 1598 through 1882. Santa Fe was near the end of that route geographically.

The original correctional facility in Santa Fe, New Mexico began in 1885 as the Penitentiary of New Mexico. It was then a men’s maximum-security prison. Now there are three other facilities known respectively as Level V, Level VI and Level II. All three were opened between 1985 and 1990. New Mexico was the first prison system in the United States to use prison workers to build highways.

Under Spanish rule long term incarceration was not viewed as practical. However, in the New Mexico Territory jails had many issues. For example, under both Spanish and Mexican control the Nuevo Mexico jails did not keep prisoners for long periods of time, but rather preferred to impose fines, or sometimes floggings. Other methods included forced labor, or banishment, and yet at other times simply applied death as a penalty. All of these at one time were viewed as effective corrective policies to remedy the wrong committed.

Famous residents of Santa Fe, New Mexico include General Kearny who in 1846 assumed control over New Mexico during the Mexican American War. He had responsibility for the jails and incarcerations at that time. Though the terms of incarcerations lengthened after the war there were few revenues or funds available from local governing bodies to enlarge or improve the small-scale correctional system during this period.

Another colorful resident of Santa Fe included the infamous ‘Billy the Kid.’ He was an avid reader even by today’s standards and likely got ideas for his many escapes from local New Mexico newspaper articles about jail escapes. Originally jail breaks were nothing more than prisoners getting up and walking out. However, that was in the mid to late 1800’s and technology as is known today in the 21st century did not exist yet.