Increasing Behavioral Health Needs, Disjointed Services, Facility Layout Flagged in Jail Planning

GFC International, a firm hired to lead public engagement for planning a new Grand Traverse County jail/justice center, shared its findings Friday after meeting with 80 local stakeholders and hosting community surveys and pop-ups. Three key themes emerged: People are entering the jail with increasingly complex mental health and substance abuse needs, the different parts of the justice system don’t function as a cohesive whole, and the lack of a centralized facility for multiple agencies creates numerous challenges.

GFC presented the report to a jail executive steering committee, with presentations to come in September to the two jail advisory committees – the Justice Facility Advisory Committee (JFAC) and Justice Facility Technical Advisory Committee (JTAC) – plus county commissioners. The firm interviewed representatives from health services, law enforcement, the courts, housing/homelessness organizations, reentry programs, youth/school/family systems, individuals with lived experience with the jail, and the public.

Stakeholders “described a justice system that is increasingly complex, interconnected, and service-oriented, exceeding the capacity of current infrastructure,” GFC wrote. The justice system is evolving, with more behavioral health needs, coordination needs, virtual hearings, service providers involved, and complex reentry needs. But the jail was “designed for a different time” and not “today’s complexity,” resulting in fragmented processes and increased staffing pressures, according to the presentation.

GFC walked committee members through the three key themes, describing challenges and system/design considerations for a new jail. Findings include:

1. Behavioral Health Needs are Increasing and Affecting Every Part of the Justice System
Challenges: Jail staff are “increasingly responding to mental health crises, substance use issues, and trauma-related behaviors beyond traditional correctional responsibilities,” the report notes. Individuals often experience “disruptions in medications, treatment, and healthcare services as they move into, through, and out of the justice system,” GFC wrote. Founder Galit Cohen told the steering committee the result is that people are “cycling repeatedly” between jail, hospitals, treatment programs, homelessness, and the community.
System/Design Considerations: Better staff training, coordination of medications and treatment programs throughout the justice system, and access to services ranging from counseling to recovery to life-skills development for incarcerated individuals are needed. Treatment and programming spaces, healthcare rooms, medical screening areas, workspace for behavioral health providers and recovery coaches, and access to natural light and outdoor space should be included in the jail design, according to the report.
 
2. Justice System Functions as Separate Organizations Rather Than a Coordinated System
Challenges: Multiple organizations support individuals, “but no single organization consistently sees the entire journey,” according to GFC. Organizations often don’t know whether individuals have successfully connected to services after they’ve made referrals, and who’s responsible for “helping people move between organizations and services is often unclear.” Release and reentry are common points “where people lose connections to critical supports and services,” GFC said. The impacts can be significant: Incarcerated individuals can lose their housing placements, leave jail without prescribed medications, and be released without transportation – even in the winter.
System/Design Considerations: Allowing organizations to share information and track whether people connect to services after release is recommended, as is assigning clear responsibility for coordinating transitions between jail, healthcare, treatment, and housing. There are opportunities for partners to “jointly review complex cases and coordinate support,” as well coordinate and communicate release plans in advance.

3. Facility Design Shapes Operations, Access to Justice, and Efficiency
Challenges: Agencies are separated, “creating extra travel, delays, and duplicated efforts,” in addition to moving across multiple buildings to access records, equipment, or work spaces. Transportation between the jail and court functions is logistically tricky, and individuals are often moved before attorneys can meet with them. Court schedules change frequently throughout the day, meeting rooms don’t adequately support confidentiality, competition for virtual hearings and technology resources is high, parking is insufficient, and the facility layout creates “bottlenecks” and safety concerns for intake and processing. “Housing, observation, and specialized populations often exceed available space and flexibility,” the report states.
System/Design Considerations: GFC’s most extensive recommendations addressed the facility design. Co-locating law enforcement, the courts, the prosecutor, the jail, and key justice partners should be prioritized, with shared technology, records, interview rooms, and investigative workspace. A direct secure connection, like a tunnel or private elevator, between the jail and court is recommended, along with soundproof consultation rooms adjacent to courtrooms and expanded virtual hearing rooms and services. The report calls for dedicated intake, classification, and screening spaces, plus expanded observation and medical/behavioral health areas and “pod-style housing with improved sightlines and supervision.” Expanded parking is also needed.

Despite significant challenges at the current facility, Cohen said “the good news is the infrastructure can be designed to support” modern needs in a new campus. Commission Vice Chair TJ Andrews pointed out “softer benefits” to a more cohesive system not fully captured in the report, such as reduced recidivism and long-term cost savings. Commission Chair Scott Sieffert agreed. “The whole foundation of what we’re doing here today is you spend a little more money upfront to spend a lot less money over the next 75 years,” he said.

GFC is one of several consultants Grand Traverse County is working with on its facility needs. BerryDunn is completing an operations audit of multiple departments, including the justice and public safety offices, while Plante Moran Realpoint is analyzing space needs for departments at the Governmental Center. That includes looking at both county and city needs as well as the best utilization of the Woodmere and LaFranier campuses. The firm will give an update on its work so far to the joint building commission today (Monday) at 1pm at the LaFranier campus. The executive steering committee additionally agreed Friday to put out a request-for-qualifications (RFQ) for a jail planner, who would specifically focus on the new jail design.

County Administrator Nate Alger told The Ticker that in the coming months, the findings from these various firms will help commissioners decide where to locate the new justice campus and determine future uses of buildings like the Governmental Center.