D.A's Deflection Program Now Up And Running

Oregon lawmakers recriminalized drugs last year amid growing frustration over Ballot Measure 110, which decriminalized small amounts of hard drugs, associated with widespread public drug use. House Bill 4002 brought back criminal penalties for drug use but also included provisions to ensure that substance use disorders are addressed with treatment rather than jail. As part of this program the state provides funding to counties, who are able to establish their individualized deflection programs that suit them. In Lincoln County the District Attorney’s office hired Shannon Heisler on December 30th of 2024 as the Deflection Program Coordinator.

In Lincoln County the program establishes that if police find someone who is in possession of residual or usable quantities of drugs such as methamphetamine or fentanyl the person can be given a choice to go through the deflection program. Law enforcement can issue a deflection citation and the DA’s office will not press charges, pending fulfillment of the deflection program. Instead of going to jail they can work with one of the county's treatment providers such as Phoenix Wellness Center, or reconnections counseling and the Siletz Tribe behavioral health. The next step is to set up an assessment and get the person into treatment. The person needs to go through counseling and participate in UA’s three times a week for six months. If the person completes the program successfully their drug charges are expunged.

Heisler said they had their first deflection in January. Lincoln City police issued the deflection citation, Phoenix Wellness was contacted and did an assessment, and the person is now starting treatment. “The people they are helping are not criminals,” Hiesler said “They are people who are addicted to drugs and it’s that addiction that makes many turn to crime.” The program is empowering for law enforcement officers who know that addiction is not something that can be fixed in jail. There is hope that the program will enable users to get the treatment they need and fewer families will lose loved ones to overdose deaths.