Crow Wing County officials all seem to agree that a detox service, located in or near Brainerd, is the best solution in the wake of the June 1 closing of the center that had operated at the Brainerd Regional Human Services Center.

In light of a declining jail population officials are wisely exploring the possibility of converting a vacant pod in the Crow Wing County Jail into a detox center. This might not be the long-term answer but it’s a solution that holds promise for the immediate future. The county is already paying money to operate the jail and if empty quarters can be put to a good use and detox transportation costs can be reduced that just might be the ticket.

The county, it seems, was left in a tough position, when there was a communications breakdown and it learned from its vendor that Dakota County Receiving would not be able to secure a Brainerd area location. Since then Crow Wing County officials have been scrambling to come up with a solution to this problem.

Using extra room in the jail is an option that makes sense to us, even if it isn’t the long-term solution.