CLACKAMAS COUNTY, Ore. — A state grant committee has reversed course, paving the way for funding Clackamas County's plan for drug deflection by approving the county's application on Monday.
The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's IMPACTs grant committee initially denied the county's plan more than a week ago, and the county then tweaked it slightly.
The committee is tasked with approving each county's deflection program before providing the money to operate it. A key part of Clackamas County's plan is centered on sending people to community court where they would then be connected to recovery services.
The state committee's reversal comes as the deadline looms for counties to launch programs offering treatment instead of jail for people caught with possession of hard drugs. Measure 110, which voters approved in 2020, decriminalized hard drugs. With the passage and signing of House Bill 4002, possessing small amounts of hard drugs will be a misdemeanor in Oregon starting on Sept. 1.
Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth praised the committee's decision and issued a statement Monday evening:
"We intend this program to open doors to treatment opportunities that M110 (Measure 110) never could. I am confident lives will be saved by the work done by our law enforcement and community-based partners."
Blair Best and Jamie Parfitt contributed to this report.
