By Don Gomez
During a recent presentation at the Lincoln City Chamber luncheon, newly elected Lincoln County District Attorney Jenna Wallace, took time to further introduce herself to the community while highlighting the direction of the department under her administration. The crux of her presentation, however, centered on recent efforts to establish a state mandated
drug offense deflection program and extenuating controversy surrounding the
implementation of the program locally.
Wallace acknowledged an “exodus” of staffers from the District Attorney’s office upon her election but highlighted the determination and professionalism of those who remain in their roles and underscored her optimism about getting the department up to full staffing levels in short order. Not one to shrink from hard work, Wallace noted that she is taking on many cases herself while she seeks to increase her staff to a full complement of 11 Deputy District Attorneys.
Wallace credits her poise and professionalism to her mother, who as a single parent, set an example of what a solid work ethic is all about. After graduating from University of Oregon Law School, Wallace served in the District Attorney’s Offices in both Coos and Lane Counties prior to being hired as a chief deputy here in Lincoln County.
Over the course of her presentation, Wallace highlighted programs operating under the
auspice of the District Attorney’s Office including the victim assistance program which
provided support to those seeking justice over 20,000 times this year. She also shared
recent crime trends including an increase in fentanyl on the streets, as well as an
expected, but nonetheless substantial, uptick in DUII cases over the summer months.
In the first nine months of 2024, the Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office has
prosecuted over 1200 felony and misdemeanor cases. Wallace imparted that this
number could have been significantly less had a deflection program already been in
place.
She notes that many petty offenders, whose offenses are motivated by
supporting drug habits, could have been instead referred to treatment under allowances
made by SB 4002. The new law restores penalties for unlawful possession of a
controlled substance on September 1, 2024, but also creates an allowance for a
conditional discharge, via deflection programs, for drug enforcement misdemeanors and
establishes processes for sealing records related to the crime with successful
completion of a course of treatment.
The current practice of placing addicted offenders into treatment solely via the criminal
justice system is yielding high rates of recidivism and is placing a strain on enforcement
and correction budgets. Wallace argues that they should instead be referred to
treatment in order to close the loop on the offender’s criminality by treating the impetus.
Her sentiment was echoed in a recent statement by Sheriff Curtis Landers.
So far in 2024 there have been 20 overdose deaths in Lincoln County.
Wallace believes that encouraging petty offenders into treatment programs rather than incarcerating them will have a positive net impact on reducing fentanyl abuse and the abuse of other common street drugs. With a well-functioning deflection program in place, Wallace
hopes that these petty offenders will be able to get a fresh start and that her department
will be able to place more emphasis on prosecuting serious offenses and violent crimes.
Wallace took the opportunity to laud praise on county treatment partners including
Reconnections, The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, and Phoenix Wellness
amongst others.
A Deflection Program Coordinator will also be joining Wallace’s department to
implement the program and ensure its success. Wallace had hoped to fund the
Coordinator position directly through her office or with cooperation from the Sheriff’s
Office, in order to save the grant money and pass it on to the provider organizations
doing the important work of helping program participants get clean. However, she
accepts that the Board of Commissioners, who has budgetary authority, has determined
to utilize the grant funds to pay the salary for the required position.
Wallace underscored her commitment to bridging the gap between the BOC and the District Attorney’s Office and repairing relations between the two county departments which have been strained in previous years. “All of our community partners are excited about this program. I just hope that there won’t be any more roadblocks.” Wallace says.
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