Offenders will have the option to “deflect” into treatment instead of jail time. But each county’s deflection program is a bit different.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon’s experiment with drug decriminalization officially ends Sunday, with a new misdemeanor charge going into effect for people caught using or possessing hard drugs. The partial rollback of Measure 110 has been accompanied by the creation of new drug deflection programs that offer offenders the opportunity to avoid jail time if they accept treatment.
The deflection programs are administered on a county-by-county basis, and Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties have all been aiming to launch their programs to coincide with the arrival of recriminalization on Sunday, making deflection immediately available across the Portland metro area.
The county programs share some rules, such as disqualifying anyone who is already on probation or has a prior conviction for a violent felony, domestic violence or child abuse, but …