“They’re health and safety issues, not really a criminal issue.”

Excerpt from Jarod, a defendant at the Hall of Justice in winter 2022.

Interviewer: Could you explain what you meant by “judicial economy”?

Jarod: That they-they, seem to typically waste a lot of money in these proceedings with these, the way they structure their-their court cases and the cases they choose to pursue and the things, they, uh...they, uh, the way, they, they deal with simple matters.

Interviewer: Mm. So—

Jarod: Well, a lot, a lot of these issues are health and safety, not criminal.

Interviewer: Mm, what do you mean by health and safety?

Jarod: Well, I think drugs, alcohol, that sort of things, they're health and safety issues, not really a criminal issue. If you're on drugs and alcohol and you're committing crimes, well that's definitely a criminal issue...[audio cuts out] Not drugs and alcohol.

Interviewer: Mhm. So you think that the courts are devoting too much money to the prosecution of, of people, um that are using—

Jarod: Too much what?

Interviewer: To the prosecution of people that are using, too many drugs and too much alcohol?

Jarod: Yeah, I think they, they, uh, could divert all of that money into the, um, um, health and safety, education, and treatment.

Interviewer: Mm.

Jarod: Rather than making it a judicial issue at all.

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