“I’m asking you and everyone else, what’s the alternative? We don’t have the capacity to lock everyone up. Even if you feel that is the answer, we don’t have it. And unless we’re willing to spend billions of dollars more to do it, that isn’t an answer, that doesn’t help me,” said Tom Ross. the Executive Director of the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.
Ross spent 34 years in law enforcement. He said Utah has the right concept of offering more treatment options for mental health and substance abuse. But said the state hasn’t struck the right balance between treatment and incarceration.
“We have to find a better balance. Because warehousing people in jails and corrections, wasn’t working for us either,” said Ross.
He said moving forward the state needs to look at which specific treatment programs are working, and fund and expand those programs.
He said in most cases, offering treatment instead of jail works. But he understands why those that are victims of violent crimes feel like that isn’t good enough.
