QuickTake:

Commissioners got an update on Lane County's deflection program. About 40% of the participants have either completed it or are still participating.

Since October, 211 people have entered a Lane County program intended to guide people struggling with drug addiction toward recovery, instead of to a jail cell.

Of those, 86 people, about 40% , are either still participating or have successfully finished it. Known as a deflection program, it helps people avoid misdemeanor charges if they participate in recovery services. The other 60% have dropped out; most of them made no contact with the program’s personnel.

Sixteen of the 86 participants have completed the program, which requires at least three months of participation.

County commissioners heard the figures Tuesday, July 29, in a presentation, where officials praised the initial outcomes, given the challenges of reaching people and treating them. County officials said the combination of emergency housing for participants and the broad eligibility helps the results. 

“We targeted low-level quality-of-life crime where it’s suspected their behavior is from an unmet behavioral health need or a substance use disorder,” said Clint Riley, manager of the county’s deflection program.

In 2024, Oregon lawmakers passed House Bill 4002, which allowed counties to set up deflection programs to combat a drug addiction crisis using the combined efforts of law enforcement and behavioral health providers. 

The law gave counties flexibility to set up criteria and determine who is eligible for such programs. Lane County opted to include people charged with misdemeanor drug possession or other low-level crimes, such as trespassing, disorderly conduct and theft.

Since the program’s start, the county has added eligible charges that include interfering with a police officer, possession of a controlled substance in a public transportation facility and frequenting a location where controlled substances are used, Riley said.

So far, 28 of Oregon’s 36 counties have set up deflection programs. Lane County’s program is among the most expansive and accepts people in different situations, including if they have warrants or other cases pending. 

People enter deflection usually when they encounter a police officer who recognizes they could be eligible. The police officer contacts a peer navigator, who meets with the person and guides them into the program.

Riley, a former officer for the Lane County Sheriff’s Office who oversaw the jail, said the county worked with law enforcement agencies throughout the region. Data show most police agencies are referring people to the program, including Eugene, Springfield, Cottage Grove, Junction City and Oakridge.

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.