The effort by San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto to close down jails and move away from #incarceration is a well-calculated move that should be applauded.
We need to divert resources towards alternatives to incarceration that are more effective in creating a safer society for every citizen. As San Francisco Mayor London Breed has said, “we need to continue to reform our criminal justice system to prevent crime in the first place, end the use of incarceration, and offer pretrial diversion with our partners in the court and criminal justice system.” Mayor Breed has also overseen a tremendous expansion of pretrial release services through the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion program that redirects individuals to community-based services. These efforts have been significant in reducing the jail population.
A lot of people believe that closing jails is associated with a dramatic increase in crime, but in fact, that has not been the case. Crime is on the rise in San Francisco but it is not happening at breakneck speed, it is following the same trends as other places in our country. This demonstrates that incarceration is not a guarantee for our safety. If incarceration must be used, then it should be the last resort.
Putting inmates in jail is a form of torture that is often associated with a negative transformation in the life of the inmates. The state of some jails and prisons is pathetic. Mano Raju, San Francisco Public Defender, said of County Jail #4 when it was closed in 2020: "County jail #4 has been a known public health risk for decades: people are crammed together in tiny cells, and sewage sometimes backs up into sleeping areas." There were also reports of asbestos, rodents, and lead impacting the health of both incarcerated people and staff.
Closing jails is critical, but reducing San Francisco's jail population may not be enough by itself. There is still a need to ensure real public safety. Widespread services must be provided to lessen the chances of recidivism and allow us to divert precious resources into victim support and alternatives to incarceration. Shutting down jails in San Francisco signifies an opportunity to lead a profound structural change toward a justice system that represents healing as opposed to retribution.
Is jail closing the right move? Yes. Dealing with matters that lead people to crime is a far more advantageous choice as it will cause a decline in the number of people falling in the hands of police in the first place. Alexi Jones, of the Prison Policy Institute, says, "instead of putting people in cages, we should be addressing the underlying social, economic and health problems that lead to incarceration in the first place, such as poverty, homelessness, and mental health and substance use disorders."
