What Happens to Your Loved One When Lea County Correctional Facility Closes (by June 30, 2025)

Lea County Correctional Facility is closing by June 30, 2025. If your loved one is housed there, they'll be among the approximately 1,000 people the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) plans to transfer to state-operated facilities before that deadline.

NMCD says this marks the final step in bringing all prison operations back under state control.

The closure comes down to the private operator walking away. GEO Group Inc. chose not to renew its contract with Lea County - a partnership dating back to 1998. In January 2025, GEO notified NMCD it wouldn't extend operations beyond November 2025.

NMCD has also positioned this as the finish line for a yearslong effort. The department already transitioned facilities in Clayton, Santa Rosa, and Grants to state management. Lea County is the last one.

This is a large-scale move: about 1,000 people will transfer from Lea County Correctional Facility to state-run facilities by June 30, 2025.

The hardest part for families? The waiting. NMCD won't share specific transfer dates for security reasons, so you likely won't get advance notice of the exact day your loved one moves.

• ✓ Minimize disruption during the transition
• ✓ Maintain access to rehabilitation programs
• ✓ Maintain access to medical care
• ✓ Maintain family communication during transfers

Practical Families

• ✓ Make sure NMCD has your current phone number and mailing address on file for your loved one’s approved contacts
• ✓ Keep a short list of essentials handy (your loved one’s full name, ID number if you have it, and any recent housing information)
• ✓ Watch for official NMCD updates and be cautious with “someone said” information on social media
• ✓ Expect short-term interruptions and plan ahead (for example, send time-sensitive information early rather than waiting)
• ✓ If you’re traveling for visits, hold off on non-refundable plans until you can confirm where your loved one is housed
• ✓ Write down questions you want answered once a new location is confirmed (mailing address, phone system, visitation rules, and how to send funds)

Timing remains the biggest unknown. NMCD won't release specific transfer dates for security reasons - meaning you probably won't know the exact move date ahead of time. Your best approach: watch for NMCD's official announcements and wait for direct confirmation once your loved one's location changes.

The closure affects more than the people incarcerated there. Over 200 facility employees will be laid off by the end of June, according to reporting cited by NMCD.