PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – When Oregon’s new drug possession law went into effect on Sunday, it left each county responsible for creating a treatment program that gives those caught with drugs the option between serving jail time and seeking help.
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson led a press briefing Thursday afternoon to discuss what steps the county has taken to create a “deflection program” that complies with the state’s recriminalization efforts.
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On Sunday, House Bill 4002 officially recriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs for the first time since Measure 110 went into effect in 2020. It also prompted efforts to help people seek treatment when they are caught carrying drugs like fentanyl and meth.
Treatment, according to the law, includes completing a behavioral health screening and participating in a “ deflection program ” in order to sidestep fines.
During the press conference, county leaders admitted the deflection program is off to a slow start. Only about half of those deflected were able to immediately get recovery-oriented services like an inpatient treatment program, according to the nonprofit 4-D Recovery that provides peer counselors to be on scene when someone is arrested.