The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
In March 2024, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted not to build a new jail. But recent problems have highlighted the need to drastically reduce the number of people coming into and out of jail. This was made evident by an electrical fire at the jail last Friday, necessitating the evacuation of individuals incarcerated. There were also 39 deaths of individuals incarcerated in the jail or post-release over about two years. Jail administration cited maintenance issues and overcrowding and understaffing in the mental healthcare unit, among other concerns.
Undoubtedly, incarceration is a problem in America. The U.S. incarcerates people at a rate of 614 people per 100,000, behind only El Salvador, Cuba, and Rwanda. Arizona’s rate of incarceration is higher than the national average, at 710 per capita. The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ACDRR) spent over $1.2 billion per an ADCRR report. This does not include money spent on county jails, which are run by each AZ county sheriff’s department.
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Additionally, the effect on individuals who encounter the criminal legal system is not negligible. Incarceration has a negative effect on health, and often exacerbates chronic health conditions. The stain of a criminal record can affect a person’s ability to get a job and stable housing post-release. We also know that in Arizona, over a third of incarcerated individuals end up back in prison or jail. Using incarceration as an approach to dealing with crime can worsen crime. Although there is absolutely a time and a place for its use, the way it is being used now is unsustainable.
Like incarceration, crime is also an issue in communities across the U.S. Pima County has a crime rate of 828 crimes per 100,000 people, though Tucson did report a 13% drop in violent crime at the end of 2023. Crime has a detrimental effect on victims, such as harming physical and mental health or causing financial loss. Although an extreme example, failed crime policy in Oakland was attributed to the recent closure of the city’s only In-N-Out and a recall of the city’s Mayor and the District Attorney serving Oakland. We need to be “smart on crime”, not “tough on crime”.
New approaches to crime are necessary, but without the needed infrastructure to support them, they are worthless. To successfully reduce the jail population, Pima County’s elected officials must prioritize investing in infrastructure that can support this endeavor.
Homelessness is intertwined with incarceration, causing people to become involved in the criminal-legal system, or people to find themselves living on the streets after release. Between 2018 and 2023, Tucson reported a 60% increase in homelessness. With temperatures this summer consistently reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the need to address homelessness is great. Opening community resource centers in areas with high homeless populations, buying and renovating old department store buildings to create shelters, and advocating for rent control legislation at the state level are all meaningful steps that can be taken by Pima County elected officials.
Re-entry programs have the potential to support the goal of decreasing the jail population in Pima County. The Yavapai County Sheriff Office’s “Reach Out Program,” is one example. This re-entry planning program starts when the person is booked into the jail. This program provides incarcerated people with resources for re-entry such as those for housing and employment. Pima County can benefit from using a similar model.
Like any initiative, partnerships between community organizations and elected officials and their offices will be necessary. The Pima County Attorney’s Office, jail administration, and community groups whose focuses include crime prevention, incarceration and/or re-entry have a common goal: reduce the number of people in jail. San Francisco’s “Safety + Justice Challenge” is an example of such a partnership. Per their website, they have seen an 8% decrease in their jail population.
By addressing the infrastructure needed to reduce the jail population first and utilizing community partnerships, Pima County will set itself up for success. Creating and implementing sustainable solutions to crime is necessary for safe communities in Pima County.
Isabel Fangman, MPH is a research analyst at Indiana University School of Public Health specializing in the effect of incarceration on individuals. Her opinions do not in any way reflect those of Indiana University.
