Heroin Task Force, La Crosse county officials meet on drug addictions

County’s team says incarceration isn’t the answer

They’re trying to figure out the best way to handle people with drug addictions.

Thursday, two members of La Crosse County’s evidence based decision making team spoke to the Heroin Task Force on just that.

“It’s expensive, right?” vice char Tara Johnson said of incarceration of the addicted. “For us, as taxpayers, jail is the most expensive way for us to deal with people that we’re not happy with.

“It’s not good decision making to use jail in these low-risk cases.”

Johnson said that low risk offenders who are only hurting themselves, shouldn’t be in jail with violent criminals, as it only pulls them into that world further.

Local judges, law enforcement, lawyers and health officials have been tackling this issue for years. 

Local Coordinator Jane Klekamp says the county doesn’t have nearly enough mental health and addiction services available.

The committee focuses on approaches in dealing with defendants in the criminal justice system, who deal with mental health and substance abuse issues.