Sacramento County wants to expand its troubled downtown jail. That’s a terrible idea

A recent report about health care in the Sacramento County jail system revealed some heartbreaking failures: People with diagnosed illnesses left to die without treatment or medication; doctors failing to actually examine patients; and possible falsification of records. But the upsetting reality of the local jail system doesn’t stop with the report, which arose from court-ordered monitoring to ensure compliance with a 2018 federal consent decree.

About 83% of the people in the jail have not been convicted of any crime. Over 60% of jail inhabitants have diagnosed mental illnesses. And it’s estimated that a majority of the people being admitted to the jail for misdemeanors are homeless. This is not just about a crisis within the walls of our jails; this is a crisis of inadequate care for those who need it and a clear risk to public safety.

That’s why the county’s proposal to expand its Main Jail in downtown Sacramento, set to be considered by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 7, is a terrible idea.

Not only would expanding capacity fail to alleviate crowding and medical failures; it would not address the reasons there are so many people in need of services in such facilities. In other words, expanding the jail would fail to address the systemic issues that led to the consent decree and would do nothing to improve public safety.

Sacramento County is in a position to meaningfully reduce the jail population by investing in proven strategies that also reduce crime. We can invest in expanded community mental health and reentry services for those exiting the jail and strengthen diversion programs for people who need mental health treatment. This would help prevent crime, close the revolving door for repeat offenders, reduce crowding and facilitate better jail conditions.

Community mental health resources are far more effective than a jail at managing people’s long-term needs. The consensus among court-appointed mental health experts is that people entering jails with such needs can’t be managed effectively while they are incarcerated. Building robust reentry services would ensure that people have access to case management, housing and services after they leave the jail, a proven strategy for reducing recidivism and dramatically improving people’s lives.

The jail should not be our main response to a housing and mental health crisis. Let’s avoid a $250 million jail annex that locks the county into exponential continuing operating costs and instead invest in strategies that work to address the causes of those crises. This will alleviate the problems inside the jails while also improving the health and well-being of our entire community. It’s a win-win and the most efficient use of the limited resources available.

This isn’t a new idea. Each time a jail expansion is proposed, community leaders come together to oppose it and urge the Board of Supervisors to address the systemic issues that led to jail crowding in the first place.

Throwing more money into a broken system is not acceptable. It’s time we try a new approach.