Oregon… bill criminalizing drug possession
Gov. Tina Kotek has made it official: Drug possession will soon be a crime once again in Oregon.
“There are some people who believe that some connection with local law enforcement is a helpful motivator for some folks to get into treatment. I think what you see in the bill is an attempt to say if that is true, let’s make sure folks are getting to treatment,” she said. The new law allows drug users who come in contact with police to “deflect” from the justice system into treatment programs. But the law allows for a county-by-county approach… “That’s going to actually end up defunding things such as treatment,” “It’s not enough to write the word ‘deflection’ in a bill, you actually have to create the apparatus and they did not create the apparatus or fund it,” said Sandy Chung of the ACLU of Oregon, which opposes the new law. “We’ll see whether the counties actually succeed in creating those programs.” Chung said. “The criminal justice system is a monster that takes up lots of money.”
Original Article (OPB):
Oregon governor signs bill criminalizing drug possession
Artwork Fair Use: AugusteBlanqui
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