Salt Lake County residents will get to vote on a bond this fall that would expand mental health treatment at the Salt Lake County jail, create a new facility to help low-level offenders, and provide more resources for homeless Utahns.
The Salt Lake County Council voted 8-1 Tuesday to put $507 million in general obligation bonds on November ballots.
“What we’re asking the public to approve is a revolutionary change to break the cycle of criminality and homelessness and put people on the path to self-reliance,” county Mayor Jenny Wilson said in a news release. “This bond is a key part of our plan to make homelessness brief, rare, and nonrecurring.”
The bond is part of Salt Lake County’s five-year plan to tackle homelessness, behavioral health challenges and criminal justice reform. The program has bipartisan support from Gov. Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, according to the release.
The funds would invest in the construction of a “Justice and Accountability Center” to connect homeless people and repeat offenders with resources, such as outpatient treatment, job training, employment services, permanent housing opportunities and other forms of support — all with a goal of “eliminating criminal behavior,” according to the release.
“Recidivism for low-level crimes creates a significant burden on our jail system,” County Council member Aimee Winder Newton said in the release. “The goal of a Justice Accountability Center is to separate these types of offenders and place them in a facility where they can receive needed services, which we believe will decrease the likelihood of them continuing to commit crimes.”
If approved, the money would also be used to increase the number of available beds by combining the two county jails into one large facility and creating a “reentry unit” for those getting ready to leave jail. Under the plan, Oxbow Jail would close.
Funds would also pay for job training, substance use treatment and connection to housing programs, which officials believe will reduce repeat offenses.
