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Pima County says Transition Center cuts rebooking and seeks funds to expand hours
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Summary
County officials told Tucson council the Transition Center reduced 30‑day rearrest rates for participants and asked for funding to expand to seven days a week, add a modular unit and staff — estimating roughly $400k–$600k for expansion plus capital modular costs.
Pima County presented the Transition Center — a no‑wrong‑door program located outside the county jail — to Tucson Mayor and Council on Sept. 23, describing it as a key partner for diversion, reentry and connecting people to treatment.
Justice‑services director Kate Vesely said the center has served more than 5,000 people in about two years, with roughly 2,000 repeat visitors. She highlighted a reduction in 30‑day rearrests for participants to about 7% in the current calendar year from a baseline near 28% among comparable misdemeanor arrestees.
County staff said the Transition Center is operating Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–midnight, and that expansion to seven days a week — using a four‑ten shift model and an added single‑wide modular unit — would roughly double current operating costs. Vesely estimated the additional operating cost to sustain expanded days at about $400,000 annually and capital for an added modular unit at about $200,000; exact figures depend on staffing models and procurement outcomes.
County and city leaders discussed options to use opioid‑settlement funds, city and county investments, and competitive grants to build a diversified funding portfolio. Council members requested clearer cost estimates and discussed pairing transition‑center expansion with short‑term respite or 24–72 hour stabilization beds to bridge people into residential treatment or sober living.
The county also emphasized the importance of 'credible messenger' staff with lived experience, transportation for safe handoffs from jail to services, and investments in medication‑assisted treatment (MAT) capacity to improve uptake and retention. The Transition Center asked for continued city‑county collaboration to consider an expanded footprint, temporary shelter options and policy work to enable diversion pathways.
Next steps: County staff will provide refined cost estimates for expansion and coordinate with the city's working group on diversion policy and opioid‑settlement funding priorities.
