ClackCo drug treatment plan approved with changes on second consideration

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) – With less than three weeks until Oregon recriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, most counties need to have deflection programs in place with funding recently approved by the state government.

Last week, Clackamas County was the only plan that got denied — spurring a heated response from Chair Tootie Smith , who vowed to speak to Gov. Tina Kotek about the issue. Then the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission announced it would reconsider the plan.

On Monday, the county’s deflection plan passed, though with some changes.

Members of the commission hesitated before approving Clackamas County’s take on deflection, which they claim is stricter than other plans in Oregon.

The plan states that when a person is arrested for drug possession, a court date will be assigned for the accused person within two weeks — based on when the courthouse is open. According to District Attorney John Wentworth, the goal is for the county to reach the person first and offer services before they enter the court system.

“We know this is an experiment,” Wentworth said. “And this is the program that we put together that we believe, because we’ve tried it before — we’ve done it before — we believe it will work.”

The changes accepted by the commission would cut costs by eliminating a high-level administrator position, allowing the county to stay within the budget of the million-dollar grant afforded to it.

“We intend this program to open doors to treatment opportunities that Measure 110 never could,” Wentworth said in a statement following the plan’s approval. “I am confident lives will be saved by the work done by our law enforcement and community-based partners.”

When KOIN 6 News last spoke with Chair Smith, she said any further delays could jeopardize the county’s goal of implementing the deflection program by Sept. 1.

We’ve since reached out to Smith’s office for her reaction to the plan’s approval with the cut that would bring the plan down to around $900,000. She has yet to respond.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.