Grundy County State’s Attorney Jason Helland doesn’t have a problem with everything in the state’s new criminal justice reform act. He says most police officers and prosecutors don’t start their jobs knowing much about drug abuse and mental health issues. So he likes requirements for training.
But he thinks eliminating cash bail will undermine drug addiction treatment efforts. Helland says if someone who just committed a crime to support a drug habit is let out right away, the person can commit crimes again to keep feeding the habit right away. He says sitting in jail to come off the high and the threat of going back to jail are what many drug abusers need to work on treatment.
Helland says 85% of his office’s work is because of drug addiction and mental health issues.