Criminal Justice Triage Centers

Criminal Justice Triage Centers

The New Normal or An Ignored Solution?

A Public Health and Safety Justice Model Strategy

Strawman Proposal
By Leslie J. Smith

Overview

Issue

This brief examines local criminal justice systems’ continued reliance on jail-first processing, which contributes to overcrowding, high pretrial detention rates, and unmet behavioral health needs. Many cities and counties do not have coordinated triage alternatives available at intake, despite evidence that diversion and rapid assessment reduce harm and improve public safety. As a result, low-level, low-risk individuals may spend hours or a night in jail before their charges are dropped, reflecting the broader shortage of effective front-end options.

Key Facts & Statistics

Overcrowding & Pretrial Detention

• 69%+ of people in U.S. jails are held pretrial, not convicted.
• 86% of jail population growth since 1983 is due to pretrial detention.
• Jails become difficult to manage once they reach 80% of rated capacity.

Mental Health & Substance Use

• 60% of pretrial detainees report mental illness; 45% report substance abuse.
• 44% of jail inmates have mental disorders; 27%+ of people jailed 3+ times in a year have moderate or serious mental illness.
• Community treatment costs $180/day vs. $445–$650/day in jail (Los Angeles data).

Harm of Jail & Recidivism

• Even one day in jail causes “immediate and long‑lasting harm.”
• Pre-arrest diversion reduces re-arrest by 60% and felony arrest by 39%.
• Longer pretrial detention increases recidivism at 12‑ and 24‑month intervals.

Systemic Drivers

• Mandatory minimums and punitive drug laws—not crime rates—drove incarceration growth since the 1970s.
• Nearly 50 states have reduced both crime and incarceration, showing the relationship is weak.

Cost Savings & Program Evidence

• Rapid City’s diversion program saved $645,000 in 26 months.
• Williamson County’s triage center diverted 731 people in its first 10.5 months.

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 Recommendations

The brief’s central recommendation is the establishment of Criminal Justice Triage Centers supported by Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils (CJCCs) and a statewide behavioral‑health diversion mandate.

Counties should replace jail‑first processing with triage‑center intake, where individuals receive:

• rapid screening
• remote video magistration
• pretrial release decisions the same day
• mental‑health and social‑service assessments
• diversion pathways instead of jail transport

Structural Reform

The brief calls for:

• CJCCs to coordinate police, courts, jails, behavioral health, and community partners
• statewide behavioral‑health diversion systems
• embedded pretrial release offices inside city jails
• data-driven justice strategies and reinvestment of savings into community programs
• Only higher‑risk individuals are transported to the county jail, preserving jail capacity for those who genuinely require secure detention.

Actual Policy Brief Available Upon Request