CHICAGO—A recently enacted criminal justice overhaul in Illinois has led to an exodus of sheriffs, and among them is Scott Harvel, the Union County sheriff in the southern tip of the state. Harvel leads a typical small rural sheriff’s office with about 10 sworn officers, each stretched thin to cope with the mounting methamphetamine-related drug offenses and mental health cases that plague rural towns. Resources are far scarcer in rural counties than in big urban areas, and everyone wears a dozen hats to get the job done. It is a difficult job policing rural towns, but instead of offering more support and resources, Illinois lawmakers keep pumping out laws that make this job even more difficult, Harvel said. After the most recent criminal justice bill (the SAFE-T Act) was passed, Harvel thinks he can no longer effectively do his job and protect the safety of county residents. After 34 years in law …