Spokane is turning to Miami for advice in reforming the county’s public health and safety systems and lowering the rate of homelessness.

The new Safe and Healthy Task Force today met with retired Miami Judge Steven Leifman to hear what spurred the south Florida city to make big reforms.

This interview was lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

Steven Leifman: 25 years ago, I had a case in my courtroom where the defendant turned out to be a Harvard educated psychiatrist who had a late onset of schizophrenia. He ended up having a full blown psychotic episode in my courtroom. And I did everything by the book only to have to release him back to the street, floridly psychotic, imminently dangerous to himself or others and homeless. His case really turned out to be a window to everything th

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