jail deflection

It’s been two months since the possession of small amounts of drugs became a crime in Oregon once again. In Lane County, law enforcement officials said around 130 people are now being charged each month.

Counties will approach enforcement differently, providing yet another large-scale experiment in drug policy.

Washington and Clackamas counties say the Oregon Health Authority didn’t follow appropriate rules when deciding how to dole out funding.

Lane County now says its new drug deflection program won’t be ready by Oct. 1, as previously planned.

Three elected law enforcement officials and three treatment providers blasted Lincoln County commissioners Wednesday for trying to make last-minute changes to months of their collaborative work on a new state-funded drug “deflection” program.

Low-level drug possession is once again a jailable offense in Oregon. The change went into effect on September 1, after a three-year experiment with decriminalization.