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Commissioners win Council support for $200K Restore Allen coordinator to cut jail demand
Summary
The Board of Commissioners obtained Council approval to spend $200,000 (from unrestricted opioid settlement funds) to hire a contracted coordinator and supporting consultants to implement Restore Allen recommendations aimed at reducing jail demand through prevention, housing and treatment.
Commissioner Ron Turpin briefed Council on Restore Allen, a consultant-supported program that identified 17 reforms addressing housing, addiction, mental health and diversion to reduce long-term jail demand and avoid future expansions. Turpin said private-sector donors funded the study and urged a government convener to coordinate the work. "Their recommendation was there needs to be a convener that is the one driving the process. In their opinion, it needs to be the government because we own the system," Turpin said.
Council voted to appropriate $200,000 from unrestricted opioid-settlement funds to begin hiring a strategic coordinator and to contract limited consultant time. Turpin described the appropriation as seed money to convene partners, focus on a small number of near-term priorities and show measurable progress before committing larger sums. The county will require periodic reporting and said unspent funds will remain reserved for the Restore Allen initiative.
