This study examines how changes in drug policy have affected the engagement of criminal justice agencies in providing treatment.
This report provides the initial findings of Year 2 of a multi-year project to understand the effects of successive drug policy efforts in Oregon, with special focus given to decriminalization implemented by Ballot Measure 110. In early 2024, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4002 (HB 4002), which takes effect on September 1, 2024, and re-criminalizes possession of controlled substances (PCS) to an undesignated misdemeanor criminal offense, punishable up to 180 days in jail. Ultimately, the efficacy of the new law will be dependent on a variety of factors, including the historic fluctuations in these criminal justice contacts over time, which researchers explore and attempt to explain in this report. It also encourages law enforcement, “in lieu of arrest or prosecution” to refer or divert the suspect into an official “deflection program”. Under the new law, “Police, in essence, [will] become an entry point for people to get help – with the prospect of prosecution, conviction and jail time serving as incentives to move people toward treatment.” The role of law enforcement as dictated by the new law is important to note here, as it seems the goal is that criminal justice contact points be leveraged in a manner that engages a suspect/defendant with substance use treatment opportunities.