Date of Conferral

10-14-2026

Date of Award

October 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Anne Hacker

Abstract

Jails have increasingly become de facto institutions for managing individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) and opioid use disorder. Yet, jail administrators often lack resources and treatment capacity needed to adequately serve this population, which was supported by existing literature that highlighted resource insufficiencies including clinical resources. Since the late 1990s, the population of SMI individuals held in jails has tripled, a trend attributed to declining community mental health infrastructure and limited alternatives to arrest. the purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to examine the challenges Washington State jail administrators faced in managing these individuals while balancing priorities among lawmakers, community expectations, demands, and diminishing resources in the context of SB5005. Interview data were collected from 10 participants, all jail administrators, and examined through the lens of impossible jobs theory and the social construction of target populations framework. Findings revealed themes of inadequate funding, limited behavioral control, gaps in jail-based and community-based treatment services, and ambiguity surrounding policy goals. Participants also emphasized a culture committed to supportive practices and protecting incarcerated individuals’ civil rights. The study has implications for positive social impact through potentially supporting collaboration between policymakers and jail administrators that could support policy development and reduce inequities in services for individuals experiencing severe mental illness and opioid use disorder.

Download

Included in

Public Policy Commons

Share

 
COinS