Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones has said for years that the Knox County jail is not the best place to serve the mentally ill — many of whom are homeless — in our community.

He is right, of course, and now others are joining him to do something about it.

The county’s Criminal Justice Committee is proposing a solution that would cost $1.7 million yearly in operating costs, but committee members believe it will save money in the long run. Certainly it will aid those who do not need to be in jail, and it will help end what some have called a revolving door for the mentally ill homeless. Story continues here ➤