Floyd, left, and Lulu, second from right, use drugs in San Francisco in 2024. Many people with substance abuse and mental health issues cycle through the criminal justice system without receiving the care they need.

As a San Mateo County judge, I have come to understand firsthand how our state’s criminal justice system has become its largest, most expensive and least effective mental health provider. 

In my courtroom, I see individuals arrested for low-level thefts, trespassing, vandalism and drug possession. Many of these defendants are homeless. Many suffer from severe mental illness, addiction or both. Some have been living on the streets for years. Probably a majority have cycled through emergency rooms, shelters, county jails and treatment programs without ever achieving lasting stability.

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I see defendants who hear and converse with voices no one else can hear. I see veterans struggling with trauma and addiction as a result of their military service. I see parents whose substance abuse has cost them custody of their children. I see individuals who self-medicate with hard drugs, only to find themselves repeatedly arrested. The criminal justice system is often not the root problem, but a symptom of deeper behavioral health challenges that have gone untreated for years.

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What is particularly striking and heartbreaking is how often these same individuals return and stand before me. A person may appear before the court, be released before any meaningful services can be offered and return months later in even worse condition. For many, the courtroom has become........

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