Salt Lake County is actively embracing a better way to address mental health, addiction and public safety.

We are aligned with key partners in government and the community around a simple but powerful idea: We can improve public safety, strengthen accountability and more effectively respond to behavioral health challenges at the same time. These are not competing priorities. When approached thoughtfully, they reinforce one another.

For too long, communities across the country — including our own — have relied on the criminal justice system to respond to behavioral health challenges it was never designed to solve. Additionally, Salt Lake County has many service providers, yet in many cases, they are disconnected from the criminal justice system. The result is a cycle that is costly, inefficient and too often ineffective.

On any given day in Salt Lake County, roughly one-third of individuals in our jail are experiencing homelessness; many also struggle with serious mental illness or substance use disorders. Too often, individuals in crisis cycle through arrest, incarceration, release and rearrest — with little improvement for them or for public safety.

We must be clear: Accountability matters. Criminal behavior cannot be ignored, and our community deserves safety. But when untreated mental illness or addiction is the primary driver, jail is often not the solution. It is often the most expensive tool we use — and one of the least effective for addressing underlying issues.

The good news is that we are not guessing at solutions. There is a proven model for doing this better, and Salt Lake County is moving forward by following it.

In partnership with national experts, including the Leifman Group, we have developed a set of Behavioral Health and Justice System recommendations informed by the success of Miami-Dade County, Florida. There, leaders transformed a fragmented system into one that identifies individuals with serious mental illness early and diverts appropriate cases into structured, accountable treatment programs.

The results in Florida have been clear: fewer people with serious mental illness in jail, reduced repeat offenses, better outcomes for individuals and significant savings for taxpayers.

We are applying those lessons here.

At the same time, we are being honest about what this work requires. Some improvements will come quickly: better coordination, expanded diversion opportunities and clearer pathways into treatment. But redesigning a system that is truly streamlined, evidence-based and built for better outcomes will take time. Success also depends on having the right resources in place — including treatment, supportive services and housing that helps people stabilize rather than continue cycling through crisis systems.

That is because our current system did not develop overnight — and it will not be fixed overnight.

Today, too many parts of our system operate in silos. Different agencies, programs and funding streams often overlap, creating redundancy and inefficiency. Individuals and families trying to navigate these systems can face confusion and delays, while taxpayers fund duplicative efforts that do not always deliver the results we need.

By better aligning these systems, reducing duplication and closing gaps — across law enforcement, the courts, behavioral health providers and community partners — we have an opportunity to do more than improve outcomes. We can also operate more efficiently.

This is not about doing less. It is about doing better.

Salt Lake County plays a central role in this work. We operate the jail, support prosecution and public defense, serve as the behavioral health authority and coordinate key elements of the region’s response to homelessness and public safety. But meaningful progress requires strong partnerships.

Encouragingly, those partnerships are in place. The state is prioritizing work in this space and local municipalities, including Salt Lake City, are working to improve safety and address impacts on neighborhoods. And service providers and community organizations are deeply engaged in building solutions.

Together, we are moving toward a system that is more responsive, more coordinated and more effective.

We envision a system where non-violent individuals with behavioral health needs are connected to services and supports. This is not only more humane than jails, but also more cost effective and results in better outcomes. It reduces repeat offenses, improves public safety and allows law enforcement to focus on serious crime rather than repeatedly responding to behavioral health crises.

By following proven models like Miami-Dade — and adapting them thoughtfully to our local needs — Salt Lake County is helping lead a path forward grounded in results.

There is urgency in this work. But there is also discipline.

Because while progress can begin quickly, building a system that truly works — for individuals, for families, for public safety, and for taxpayers — requires sustained commitment.

And that is exactly the work we are doing.

Jenny Wilson is the mayor of Salt Lake County.

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