From 2014 to 2016, Crawford County saw an astounding 700 percent increase in methamphetamine-related arrests.

The startling number is just one of many formidable statistics from the 2017 Crawford County Public Health Community Needs Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan.

Of the men and women incarcerated in Crawford County Jail, some 95 percent are addicted to drugs or alcohol, and Prairie du Chien Police Chief Chad Abram said in a 2016 interview that the city of about 5,700 has been referred to as as "the one-pot meth lab capital of Wisconsin" by statewide law enforcement.

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With the jail spending alone upward of $13,000 a month on Narcan, Crawford County has a growing substance-abuse epidemic but a lack of resources for those in thick of or recovering from addiction. Determined to be part of the solution are Kari Sanding, a Crawford County Juvenile Court Worker previously with the Department of Corrections, and Pete Zibrowski, a former drug addict.

For the past eight months, the pair have been planning the development of a sober home to be located in the former Mayo Clinic Health System Villa Success substance abuse rehab center building at 121 S. Prairie St. The 3,200-square-foot, fully furnished, 11-bedroom and three-bathroom facility, now operating as a vacation rental, is for sale for $190,000, with Sanding and Zibrowski seeking community and business donations toward the initial purchase of what will be named "For Pete's Sake."

The proposed facility, which will have a 24-hour staff member on site and offer its communal living areas for AA and NA meetings will not offer treatment services but serve as a supportive sober living environment with assistance in the securing employment, applying for health coverage or food assistance and developing self-sufficiency skills. Occupants will pay rent, estimated to be about $650 per month for private pay or $1100 per month for Department of Corrections or Treatment Court referrals, and must abide by rules including no drugs or alcohol on the premises and participation in chores and general maintenance.

Volunteers will lead daily activities and excursions onsite and in the community, and the home's large kitchen and lounging areas will allow for conversation and socialization. A hired home manager will be in charge of rent collection, volunteer coordination, rule enforcement and grant writing. There will be no minimum or maximum stay at For Pete's Sake, and there will be "an open-door policy with law enforcement to maintain the integrity of the home."

Sanding and Zibrowski, who initially contacted Rural Development about applying for a grant, were referred to Community Development Alternatives Incorporated. The 501(c)3 organization has served as the "financial arm" for regional organizations that have not yet secured nonprofit status or grant eligibility. Lori Bekkum, housing specialist for CDA, and executive director Dale Klemme, consulted with board members about "umbrellaing" the project after Sanding came armed with statistics about the drug plight and extreme need for a place like For Pete's Sake.

With the Crawford County DOC closing its transitional living home in 2017, Sanding says those with a criminal record are going to be For Pete's Sake's "bread and butter." In the For Pete's Sake business plan, Sanding notes "Offenders coming out of prison are housed at the Prairie Motel with other homeless people. Drugs and alcohol are prevalent in this facility as it mainly houses those who are unable to rent (or) due to a history of evictions, property damage, criminal history, and substance abuse."