Kane sheriff wants to lease office space to private rehab facility

Every day Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain walks through the county jail he sees at least one inmate suffering through the physical and mental impacts of substance addiction withdrawal.

Come 2020, inmates processed into the jail also may find themselves simultaneously checking into rehab under a new plan Hain announced Thursday.

The sheriff's office has roughly 25,000 square feet of space, over three floors, used for storage. Hain wants to convert that space into something suitable for leasing to an outside addiction rehab center.

The first floor would house the administrative staff and private functions of the rehab center. The second and third floors would be for the inmates who need rehab services.

"We're going to run a treatment center out of the sheriff's office," Hain said. "You've heard of the concept of a person walking out of a police agency and into a nearby rehab support facility. With this you're literally going to be able to walk into rehab at the sheriff's office."

Along with domestic violence, drug-related offenses and drug possession are the three most common offenses that lead someone to jail.

Hain's focus in his early weeks on the job has revolved around creating a focus at the jail that reduces recidivism. The rehab services will pair with education and resume crafting programs he's putting into place as well as partnerships with local businesses willing to hire inmates after their release from the jail.

There's a side benefit that makes the plan an even easier sale to the county officials who oversee Hain's budget. The leasing agreement with the outside rehab center would function as a new source of income for the county. Hain has not yet projected the profits of such a lease agreement.

The goal is also to see a cost savings in reducing the jail population.

Hain is in the initial stages of working with the state's attorney's office to investigate the legality of providing space in the sheriff's office for a private entity. From there he plans to talk to leasing agents who can help recruit a rehab business and estimate any accompanying costs to accommodate such an operation.