Closing the facility would come with the increased use of the Office of Diversion and Reentry, which was created five years ago to help those incarcerated with mental illness and substance abuse problems find housing and support systems, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Officials cited a study released in January which found that more than 60% of people who are incarcerated in county jails while diagnosed with a mental illness would be eligible for diversion if there were more services available to them. The LA Times reported that diversion programs could save hundreds of dollars a day for jails and end the cycle of homelessness and recidivism.
“We must reduce our reliance just on caging people,” Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, who along with Solis introduced the motion, said. “The closure of MCJ, as we continue to do that, won’t be the revolutionary concept it looked like today. It’ll simply be logical. It’ll be fiscally prudent and another opportunity for community healing.”
The county and the sheriff’s department both agreed that the 57-year-old, run-down facility, which officials say is one of the worst in the country, is expensive to keep open and should be closed. A plan to replace the jail last year was denied by the county.
Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she supports learning more about alternatives but that she doesn’t support closing the jail, reports ABC 7.
Opponents of the motion worry that closing the jail will risk public safety.
“[They] are dangerous, dangerous offenders that will be released back into our communities. It's unacceptable," said Patricia Wenskunas, founder of Crime Survivors, an organization that supports crime victims and their families.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva also opposed the plan, echoing Wenskunas' sentiments.
“The jail system today houses 1,199 murder suspects, 762 attempted murder suspects, 65 manslaughter suspects, 105 rape suspects, 391 child molestation suspects, 1,200 robbery suspects, 142 carjacking suspects, 743 domestic violence suspects,” Villanueva told the supervisors. “Now, you tell me how safe you think you’re going to be with them out there in the community."
The plan does not call for the mass release of violent offenders, though. Supervisor Janice Hahn said the supervisors want to find a way to demolish the unsafe jail with another plan in place.
“On any given day there are over 3,000 individuals with mental illness in our jail system who could be safely diverted,” Hahn said. “We’re not closing it without a plan, it’s not our desire to release violent criminals into the streets, thus victimizing more people."
After the vote was announced, Villanueva tweeted his disapproval of the decision.
