Criminal justice Quote by Ted Wheeler
“The criminal justice system is not the right place - or it shouldn't be the place of first resort to provide addiction or mental health services. It should happen elsewhere with no police and no judges and no juries and no jails.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: City Council Address, 2022
Addiction and mental health need treatment, not criminal penalties; divert to health services.
In simple terms: Treat health issues with health care, not prisons.
Key Takeaway
Shift care to health-focused institutions.
Themes
public health
justice reform
mental health
Mood
concerned
hopeful
Type
policy
advocacy
When to use this quote
- homeless shelters
- community clinics
- court diversion programs
Key Concepts
decriminalization
rehabilitation
policy change
Questions to Reflect On
- How can communities fund health-first approaches?
- What safeguards prevent abuse of diversion systems?
A Different Perspective
Funding and infrastructure may be insufficient for large-scale diversion.
![“There are whole states where people [with addiction or mental health issues] can't get to a doctor. If that were true of pancreatic cancer, if that were true of heart disease, if that were true of diabetes, we'd all understand that it made no sense at all. And yet we somehow approach mental health…” quote by Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c82/newt-gingrich-792_addiction_there-are-whole-states-where-people-with_1424119.jpg)
