The perils within California's plan for the mentally ill

California has a greater homeless population than New York, Florida, and Washington—the next three states—combined. The tent cities and encampments in downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles represent a mounting public health emergency and a significant political headache for the state’s elected officials.

Given that homelessness is often intertwined with substance abuse and mental illness, California’s new social services program feels like an important step toward a solution. Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Courts empower anyone in the orbit of a distressed person to petition the state to recommend treatment, and provide them with the necessary resources.

But the devil is in the details, argues Jerel Ezell, an assistant professor of public health at UC Berkeley, in an essay for TIME. Experts are concerned that CARE Courts could trample the civil liberties of mentally ill individuals, by forcing them into treatment against their will. The system also does nothing to address many of the structural causes of homelessness, such as sky-rocketing rents and joblessness among vulnerable populations.

Ultimately, Ezell writes, the goal of CARE Courts may be less about solving California’s homeless problem, and more about creating cover for politicians who don’t have any other answers.

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