Prosecutors and law enforcement officials say youths accused of serious crimes often fall through the cracks in New Mexico when they are found incompetent to stand trial.

Attorneys on Wednesday outlined another problem — getting juveniles competency evaluations, and services to help them, in the first place.

New Mexico is facing a lack of evaluators to conduct assessments on young people facing criminal charges, as well as of resources to treat those children to competency, affecting courts’ ability to proceed with cases and the juveniles’ ability to get the treatment they need, Jeanne Quintero, a deputy district attorney in the 3rd Judicial District in Las Cruces, told lawmakers.

“It’s hard to get an appointment,” she told the Legislative Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee durin

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