The project team conducted research with nearly 70 stakeholders — in jail, in the community, and in City government. Justice-involved people described the destabilizing effects of detoxing in the jail, then of living in crowded dorms with dozens of bored, unhappy people and of the violence that sometimes flared, especially as people came back to jail after “a bad day” in court. We heard how jail itself created conditions that led to repeat jailing: loss of jobs, health insurance, housing, family relationships, self-esteem. “Who’s going to hire me now?,” one person asked us.

Officers with an interest and training in security felt unprepared (and sometimes unwilling) to be healthcare providers. One outwardly stoic officer, when asked what one change to the jail would be most valuable, emphatically said “more mental health services” for inmates, and described his own stress and frustration. It became obvious that for the jail to better serve the people it incarcerated, it had to also address the wellbeing of staff members. 

Through our research, we identified that each of these (voluntary or involuntary) users of the jail system needed: their basic needs met, a sense of dignity, a support network, a useful purpose to their day, a mountaintop perspective, and a clear path to a better future.