County mulls ‘restoration facility’
by Tom Ackerman
Johnson County could see an increase in jail space without building a new one.
Local police, city officials, hospital administrators, and other community members met last week to lay out efforts for a mental-health “restoration facility,” which would result in fewer arrests for those whose offenses don’t require jail time.
The group looked into the realities of such a facility and what it would take to implement it for the community.
The sub-groups will explore 40-hour crisis-intervention training for police, a sobering unit for intoxicated individuals, a mental-health crisis center, and a “low barrier” shelter for those needing housing who may not be able to go to other shelters for alcohol-related reasons.
The facility is modeled on one in San Antonio, which is considered a leader in alternative jail services on a national scale. Research is being put into how the program may fit locally, where there are fewer people.
“To do something like this, we certainly have to have buy in and have collaboration among the various stakeholders in the community,” said Jessica Peckover, the Johnson County coordinator for alternative jail services.
The facility would provide temporary housing and a detox center for those needing assistance. Peckover said costs are difficult to assess at this time, though funds would be saved from jail and hospital costs, and officers’ time would be freed up greatly.
“Public safety is public health,” she said. “An approach like this is really about getting the right services to the right people at the right time.”
Iowa City City Councilor Rockne Cole said he’s heard “overwhelmingly positive” support from the community for the initiative.
“I think the elected officials, especially at the county level and at the sheriff’s department, heard the community’s concerns on excessive incarceration,” he said. “I really commend a lot of the stakeholders that have worked on this particular project.”
Peckover said the group members discussing the initiative will meet again in about two months to look at their findings and break down data they’ve collected.
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Alton Poole, the UI police community outreach officer ,said he has advocated for the crisis-intervention training for years. Poole said he’s known the training since he came to the department in 1999, and several officers contacted him for help in certain situations, such as when dealing with suicidal subjects.
Poole said the goal is to have every officer take the class, which will be taught by local officers who have gone through the training in San Antonio.
Officers will learn how to recognize whether someone has a mental illness and how to deal with it.
“[Officers] have to discern whether or not the person will commit that act again,” Poole said. “We know people make mistakes, but at the same time, we know people have mental illnesses.”
