“More money into mental health instead of keeping people locked up”

Excerpt from Rhonda, a defendant at the Hall of Justice in winter 2022.

Interviewer: [...] Do you think the state should spend more or less money on the courts? 

Rhonda: You know, um. Looking, um. Because I too was—well, am—going back to finish my paralegal, but … uh, that, those numbers are big. But we're talking statewide, and we are a big state. Um, from what I've seen recently, and the programs with reentry, uh, mental health court. Um … if they can put some more money into that … that, that would save in other areas. So again, when you're looking at the budget, right, you can, you can re-figure numbers if it's, um … you know, I mean, a lot of our courts—a lot of the people that are in court—have mental health issues, so I think that's; if they can put more money into mental health and instead of, um, just keeping people locked up, that's where our money would be better spent, I would say. Um, and yeah, I think the programs that they are coming out with now seem to be more beneficial for minor offenders versus, you know, of course, people that have higher—are higher risks to the community. So I think the numbers should just stay.