In response to low engagement in Multnomah County’s drug deflection program, District Attorney Nathan Vasquez has announced steep changes.

Starting Jan. 5, people that fail to complete the county’s deflection program could face criminal charges for possessing small amounts of illegal drugs.

“I’m certainly not satisfied with what I’m seeing,” Vasquez told reporters in a Tuesday press conference. “So, it’s time for some changes.”

Currently, those arrested for possession have the choice of either going to jail or participating in the county’s drug treatment program.

But county figures show that only a fraction of those entering deflection are completing the program.

In its first year, 29% of those participating in the deflection completed the program. More than one-third of all people dropped off at the county’s deflection center did not engage in treatment, according to the county’s annual report.

Under Vasquez’s new plan, the District Attorney’s Office will review reports for each person that comes to the deflection center and assess whether they actually participated in treatment. If not, the office could then prosecute and pursue criminal charges.

If the person completes treatment within 90 days of the arrest, no charges will be filed.

“This is about making sure we have accountability on this and that people are meaningfully engaging in treatment,” Vasquez said. “Right now, we’re really not seeing either of those.”

It comes more than a year after the county began its deflection program, created after the Oregon Legislature reversed Measure 110, which had decriminalized small amounts of controlled substances.

While House Bill 4002 re-criminalized possession, it also allocated funding for counties to establish deflection programs.

Even before taking office, Vasquez advocated for more accountability in the deflection program. That desire has sometimes come into conflict with officials at Multnomah County, which runs the day-to-day deflection operations.

Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a written statement that the HB 4002 Leadership Team — including agencies from across the county — were already considering aspects of Vasquez’s plan.

“Any potential changes should stay focused on the goals set forth in the legislation and include a clear understanding of what subsequent investments would be required for all partners,” Vega Pederson said.

County officials also raised concerns about the impact this proposal would have on the county’s judicial system.

Days after Vasquez shared his proposed changes with the county, Multnomah County Commissioner Shannon Singleton announced her own proposed changes Monday. She called for integrating the county’s homelessness and deflection programs, given that so many who enter deflection are also homeless.

“With 92% of participants experiencing homelessness, it is unconscionable that we have not created a direct pathway into homeless services from deflection and sobering,” Singleton said in a press release.

Deflection programs in Oregon vary by county. In Clackamas County, people have to navigate deflection via the county’s community court, which handles low-level offenses. Officials in Washington County reported that, as of September, 25% of people who participated in deflection completed the program.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/26/multnomah-county-da-unveils-new-plan-for-deflection-program-more-prosecutions/