The Lane County Deflection Program is closer to launching this fall. The program, created as part of the Oregon Legislature’s reform of Measure 110, will be the first of its kind in Lane County. While important progress in developing the program has been made it will not be ready for a full launch on October 1.
“Creating a program from the ground up with our community partners has been both a challenge and a privilege,” said Lane County Deflection Program Coordinator Clint Riley. “We are all committed to building something that works for our community here in Lane County, that helps encourage people to seek treatment, and that provides accountability for behaviors that harm others.”
In Lane County, the deflection program will provide law enforcement officers with an alternative to arrest for people facing low-level charges that affect quality of life in the community. If a person is eligible for deflection and has indicated interest, the responding officer will have the option to call on a peer navigator to connect with the person and enroll them in the program, which includes case management and tracking. If the deflection program is successfully completed, the charges will not be filed. If the program is not completed, the charges may be filed, and the case will proceed through the criminal justice system.
Important milestones reached so far in Lane County include working with the District Attorney’s Office to establish the eligibility criteria for deflection, developing training for law enforcement agencies, selecting an organization to provide the peer navigators, and outreach to providers and community groups.
The program will start to launch in October as peer navigators are hired and complete training, and as training for law enforcement agencies continues.
“Our approach has been to cast a fairly wide net when it comes to who will be eligible for deflection,” said Riley. “We anticipate having as many as 125 available ‘seats’ in the program at one time and the ability to serve 300 people each year once we’re running on all cylinders. And, we know recovery looks different for each person so what constitutes successful completion of the program will need to be flexible. At minimum, it must mean reduced negative contact with law enforcement and reduced criminal behavior.”
In Lane County, people will be eligible for deflection on the following charges if drug use is suspected as a contributing element:
- Unlawful possession of any criminal-level controlled substance
- Criminal Trespass 2
- Disorderly Conduct 2
- Criminal Mischief 3
- Theft 3
Those who are involved in a non-deflection-eligible investigation, have previous domestic violence or sex crime convictions, those who may be a danger to the peer navigators, or those with severe and persistent mental illness will not be eligible for deflection.
Lane County also wishes to share its appreciation of the community agencies and other organizations that have helped to shape the program, including: local law enforcement agencies; the District Attorney’s Office; local treatment providers and non-profit organizations; and members of historically marginalized and underserved communities.