Judge Jim Bianco: A Model for Solving Homelessness and Mental Health

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Expecting little, Judge Jim Bianco took an assignment to the low-prestige mental health court. But it changed his career, and the lives of more than 16,000 people. This is how Los Angeles County has crafted an astonishingly successful program to get those who are unhoused and live with serious mental health issues off the streets, out of jails and into permanent homes. Called The Office of Diversion and Reentry, it may just be the solution this nation has desperately sought for more than 60 years. 

380,000 Jail days saved! See the numbers at a glance here, and learn more about Los Angeles County's Office of Diversion and Reentry (ODR).  

See the 2022 article Jim Bianco wrote in the LA times here.

Read this insightful column by Steve Lopez from July, 2026 about another judge in ODR. The article is also available at this yahoo link.  

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This episode was edited and co-produced by Kate Rusk-Kosa. Theme music comes to us from Paul Swartzel. It was executive produced by Frank Kosa and Janet Yang.