Nearly two years after launch, Lane County’s deflection program still growing 

In Lane County, people in the throes of drug addiction have a pathway to recovery — without handcuffs and a jail booking — when they encounter law enforcement officers from Eugene to Florence.

Lane County started its deflection program in October 2024, the same year the Legislature passed a bill allowing counties to set up programs that give officers the discretion to offer people access to a “deflection” program instead of arresting them for low-level drug possession or other crimes related to addiction, such as trespassing. 

The law gave counties latitude to determine who is eligible, what the criteria is and the requirements for completion. Lane County officials built a program with a wide net to reach as many people as possible. For example, police officers can offer the program to people who are not facing criminal charges but who still want the help.

“Prior to this program, these folks would have probably been in the ER (emergency room), the jail, the back seat of the police car, in some sort of chaos, and so these folks are stabilized and engaging,” Clint Riley, coordinator of Lane County’s deflection program, said in an interview with Lookout Eugene-Springfield. 

Participants and supporters of Lane County’s deflection program gathered Thursday, July 23 for a barbecue to reflect on their work and look forward.The event coincided with National Deflection Week, which recognizes similar programs to help people enter recovery without the crisis of an arrest or overdose. 

The numbers show the results. Since October 2024, 537 people have participated in deflection in Lane County. About a third of them have either completed the program or are still participating, including 64, about 12%, who have completed , and 107 who are currently participating. People spent an average of 156 days in the program, which can connect people with addiction treatment, housing and other services like healthcare and counseling.

Riley, who was commander of Lane County’s jail before starting the deflection program, worked with other county officials and providers to develop the program. The goal, Riley said, was to make it as easy to enter the program as possible. 

Besides offering deflection to people who don’t otherwise face arrest, the program also accepts people who face other legal challenges, such as  outstanding arrest warrants or are on probation.

“We took down as many barriers as we could,” Riley said. 

Partners help with the work after the initial referral from police officers. Ideal Option offers peer navigator services for participants, helping them access services like detox, residential care and recovery housing — all specific steps on a journey from deep addiction on the streets to sobriety.

Peer navigators like Art Zamudio, a program manager at Ideal Option, said the peers offer support and encouragement to participants. Peer navigators often have similar experiences that help them relate to the people they serve.

“The navigator’s walking through that with them because part of it is navigating the system,” he said. “The other part is having that lived experience when they want to run away to say, ‘Hey, I understand this is scary. You can do this.’”

The county has a housing service available for people when they first enter deflection through the nonprofit Reveille Foundation, which provides about two dozen units, along with food, clothing and other services. 

The housing units are not meant as a permanent residence, but rather the first stop for people who may only spend a few hours to a few days there before moving on to a treatment center.  Each room has a single bed, fridge, microwave and bathroom. 

“It’s not the destination,” said Joey Whittaker, a peer support specialist and program director with Reveille Foundation. “It’s more of an airport.”