Moki Macias, the executive director of the Policing Alternatives and Diversion Initiative, tells Axios Atlanta that even a conservative estimate of diverting 40 people a day from the jail and into the services they need could have a substantial effect.

Macias says the center is but one part of a larger system that must be built, funded and maintained. “We need to invest in the whole continuum of resources” — meaning high-quality and accessible healthcare, housing and recovery options — “that people need to be more well,” she says.