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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Newly-appointed public defense head mounts effort to stem Oregon's public defense pileup
The newly-appointed head of Oregon's Public Defense Commission announced on Monday an effort to stem Oregon's public defense crisis. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) When Gov. Tina Kotek fired the head of Oregon's embattled public defense commission in April, she gave its new director until June 1 to come up with a strategy to end the state's ongoing public defender shortage. On Monday, Interim Executive Director Ken Sanchagrin announced just that: A 12-month-long, seven-point plan by the agency that seeks to expand contracts with lawyers and nonprofits across the state, increase voluntary caseloads for available attorneys and onboard law students who can be supervised while providing a defense for those accused of crimes. The response marks the commission's first attempt at addressing the shortage since Kotek overhauled its leadership two months ago. It doesn't provide a timeline for exactly when the crisis should end, as Kotek requested in April, but Sanchagrin told reporters Monday that he estimates that counties most affected by the issue could see relief as early as mid-fall. 'We can make significant progress over the next 12 months, but I think that coming up with a date, as somebody who really lives in the data, that's not something that is really possible at this point,' he said during a Monday media briefing. 'Given the increases in filings, and then given also some of these new proposals that we've put out that may or may not also be impacted by some legislative decisions that are being made, that makes it extremely difficult.' A Kotek press secretary said Monday that the governor could respond to the news on Tuesday. The announcement drew immediate praise from critics of the public defense agency's prior approaches to solving the crisis. 'We need to honor the hard work of public defenders and provide the appropriate level of representation and service for indigent defense. This plan does that with enhanced capacity and recruitment,' said Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, in a statement Monday. 'We will continue to leverage the Legislature's accountability and oversight functions to ensure the agency has the tools to execute this plan and resolve the crisis.' The public defense commission is an independent body with power delegated by the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court, designed with the goal of ensuring representation and defense counsel for all Oregonians. In April, it made headlines after Kotek fired its head leader and slammed the then-estimated number of Oregonians without representation for being at 4,000, which she had called 'unacceptable.' Oregon employs an array of centralized and deployable trial lawyers, public defenders, and nonprofit attorneys to help ensure that those who cannot afford an attorney are given proper defense, an obligation mandated by the U.S. and Oregon constitutions. The issue has long concerned officials, with a scathing 2019 study slamming Oregon's 'complex bureaucracy that collects a significant amount of indigent defense data, yet does not provide sufficient oversight or financial accountability.' As of June 2, 3,779 people lack public defenders, according to the state's dashboard, though Sanchagrin's letter said that the number was upwards of 4,400 as of May 2025. The majority of cases involve the six 'crisis' counties: Coos, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah and Washington. Approaches in each of those localities will vary, but according to the plan, about 40% of an identified 176 attorneys with extra case capacity are based in these areas. 'What we're hoping to do is to proactively work with those individuals to identify who is willing and who has the ability to take additional cases above and beyond current…limits amongst those individuals,' Sanchagrin said. 'Then we can build that expectation into our contracts on the front end, which means it will be able to better predict and forecast what our case needs are going to be in a given area.' In a statement, the Oregon Judicial Department said it was 'encouraged by the urgency' demonstrated by Sanchagrin's plan. 'While we have not yet had the opportunity to fully review this detailed document, we support this step toward data-driven solutions and stand ready to assist the OPDC as needed to move forward,' wrote Chief Justice Meagan Flynn in a statement. Some of the plan's ability to be implemented will hinge on current legislative and budget discussions currently underway at the state level, Sanchagrin said. Currently the Legislature is still negotiating the commission's final budget and considering House Bill 2614, which would declare the public defense crisis an emergency and extend contract availability until July 2033. Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, helped lead the push in 2023 for legislation that allocated around $90 million to overhaul the public defense system. He told the Capital Chronicle on Monday that the plan represents the 'best opportunity we have for progress in sometime.' Citing ongoing negotiations, he declined to comment on the budget or the legislation but said 'we are giving them more than the baseline they need to be able to serve to succeed.' 'We've purposefully taken the long view that this whole session of recognizing that public defense must be integrated into all aspects and you need the entire system healthy,' he said. 'You can't just put money into one compartment and say, OK, somehow it's going to work out.' The amount of in-custody unrepresented individuals has sharply decreased since January — around 30%, according to the commission. Much of that reduction, it says, is because of the work of its trial division, which has taken over 2,200 cases and deploys across the state to assist in cases requiring multijurisdictional authority or high levels of expertise to put on a defense. Under the new plan, the trial division will seek out new counties and jurisdictions in which it can intervene in the crisis, said Aaron Jeffers, the division's chief deputy defender. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon overdose deaths have gone down, but they're still high
While strengthened substance use treatment infrastructure, naloxone distribution and changes in the national fentanyl supply are contributing to the decrease in overdose deaths, Oregon's overdose deaths rates are still too high, Oregon Public Health state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said. (Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Overdose deaths in Oregon went down 22% in 2024, the Oregon Health Authority announced on Friday. The decrease in overdose deaths follows a nationwide trend of declining overdose deaths. In 2024, there were about 80,400 drug overdose deaths in the country — 26.9% fewer than the 110,000 overdose deaths in 2023, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While strengthened substance use treatment infrastructure, naloxone distribution and education, prevention programs and changes in fentanyl supply are contributing to the decrease in overdose deaths, Oregon's overdose deaths rates are still too high, Oregon Public Health state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger said in a news release. Substance use and overdose deaths remain a public health crisis in Oregon. The 1,480 overdose deaths in Oregon in 2024 were still more than overdose deaths rates during the pre-pandemic years. 'We must continue to work together to keep people safe and build treatment and recovery support for people struggling with substance use disorder,' Sidelinger said. The state of Oregon aims to decrease overdose death rates by investing in: Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse: This program is working to respond to the fentanyl crisis. It provides more than 360 agencies and organizations in Oregon with no-cost naloxone, infection prevention and wound care kits. Opioid treatment programs: There are 27 opioid treatment programs in Oregon, two medication units and four mobile units. Oregon also expanded telehealth for medications for opioid use disorder. Increasing residential treatment capacity: The state of Oregon is developing 260 beds dedicated to substance use disorder services and 41 beds dedicated to withdrawal management. Peer support systems: Under these programs, individuals in Oregon struggling with substance use receive support, guidance and encouragement from individuals who have experience with recovery. Behavioral Health Regional Networks: Funded through cannabis tax revenue and the Drug Treatment and Recovery Services Funds which accounted for $414 million between 2022-2025, these networks provide screening and assessment, harm reduction, housing, substance use disorder treatment and employment services. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Latest Oregon economic forecast shows more money, but federal government leaves future murky
The Oregon State Capitol closed on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, due to the snowy weather. (Photo by Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Chaotic federal announcements about taxes, tariffs, mass firings of federal employees and spending cuts haven't yet affected Oregon's economic forecast, the state's chief economist reported Wednesday. For now, according to chief economist Carl Riccadonna and senior economist Michael Kennedy, Oregon lawmakers can expect to have about $38.2 billion to spend in the state's next two-year budget. That's $350 million more than they thought they would have at the last forecast in November. But Gov. Tina Kotek and legislative budget-writers have advocated for caution and reiterated those calls on Wednesday. The forecast arrived the day after congressional Republicans voted for a spending plan that included $2 trillion in not-yet-specified spending cuts. 'Our state's available resources for the coming years are projected to be slightly higher than previously expected, which is good news, but we must continue to budget responsibly,' said House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene. 'We need to be prepared for economic headwinds created by the federal administration's actions and for potential cuts to federal programs that Oregonians rely on, like Medicaid.' Riccadonna said tariffs could have a particularly acute effect on Oregon. The state's economy relies more on manufacturing and trade than most states, and it's especially sensitive to trade with Asia. When President Donald Trump installed tariffs in 2018, Oregon's economy slowed down, Riccadonna said, but the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act also provided a fiscal stimulus that softened the sting of the trade war. 'That may very well be the case again this year, as you know that the one big, beautiful bill is being worked on, and the expectation is that Trump tax cuts will be extended, and maybe even corporate income taxes lowered further,' he said during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday. 'That's a very significant positive macroeconomic narrative that will offset some of the negative from the trade side.' It's too early to know the economic impact of other changes, such as the federal government firing tens of thousands of workers in recent weeks. That's because those workers' unemployment claims haven't yet been reflected in state-level data. 'Most of the DOGE cuts started around President's Day weekend, so it's really going to be the first two weeks in March where we start to see a quantifiable measure of these job cuts in the state economic data,' Riccadonna said. The $350 million more available for the next budget cycle reflects $550 million in higher expected income tax revenues tied to higher wages during the next two years, minus $200 million lost to extra state spending to address wildfire costs in December and some late tax refunds. Oregon paid out a record high kicker — the tax credit that takes effect when the state collects more tax revenue than forecasted — of $5.6 billion last year. Since Riccadonna started as chief economist last fall, his top task has been to create more accurate forecasts to reduce the growing kicker payouts. But Oregonians can still expect a large kicker in 2026: The latest forecast pegs it at $1.726 billion, slightly lower than the $1.8 billion predicted in November. Higher-income Oregonians who pay more in taxes get higher kicker payments. Lawmakers will craft the budget for the next two years based on the next economic forecast, expected in late April. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Yahoo
Moving Beyond Addiction series documents Oregon's new chapter in its fight against drugs
Hillsboro Police Officer James Wood shows a packet of methamphetamine found when he cited a man for drug possession in a city park on Nov. 19, 2024. (Photo by Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Editor's note: Last September, Oregon recriminalized low-level drug possession, and 28 counties rolled out deflection programs to help people addicted to drugs become sober rather than sitting in jail. Reporter Ben Botkin's four-part series looks at their rollout and early impact. He spent more than seven months combing through records and interviewing dozens of people, including law officials, providers and people addicted to drugs in Portland area, Clatsop county and eastern Oregon. — Editor Lynne Terry In April 2024, Gov. Tina Kotek signed an expansive bill that allows counties to put new, state-funded programs in place intended to address the state's soaring rate of fentanyl overdoses. House Bill 4002 marked an historic shift in Oregon's drug policy: It unwound a foundational part of Measure 110 and recriminalized possession of small amounts of drugs. It also paved the way for counties to create deflection programs to allow police to offer recovery services to people who otherwise could face a misdemeanor drug possession charge in court. Those who opt for deflection are not charged in court, nor do they face fines or potential jail time. Moving Beyond Addiction documents how these deflection programs have worked in regions of Oregon from the coast to the Idaho border. It shows what the programs look like now — and the challenges that lie ahead for Oregon, a state that struggles to serve its most vulnerable people. PART 1: Portland-area advocates, police see signs of improvement The deflection programs in the populous Portland area have more resources than elsewhere in the state, with a temporary center where police drop off candidates for assessment and plans for a 24-hour crisis and stabilization center that will likely open in late 2026, with up to 50 beds. Washington County's program is smaller but already Hillsboro police have seen quick gains since it was put in place: There is no longer drug use in areas of the city's downtown that once had prevalent open drug use. But countywide, officials still have concerns about how sustainable the program will be in the long term. The county cannot afford to dispatch peer recovery mentors to every call to assist police, especially in outlying areas outside Hillsboro. PART 2: Clatsop County's program shows some signs of success In Clatsop County along the coast, a region that's long battled homelessness and addiction, the deflection program is tailored toward incentives to keep people enrolled. They get small amounts of cash on a cellphone app and other incentives when they keep showing up for group sessions. So far, two people have successfully finished the three-month program and another four are enrolled. One of them, Maksym Derevianko, a 45-year-old Astoria crabber, said the program has helped him avoid methamphetamines and enter recovery. 'It shows you that they really want you to be better, to live a better life,' he said. PART 3: In eastern Oregon, drug use often lurks in the shadows In rural eastern Oregon, people often live in isolation and addiction, hidden in tucked away encampments. The vastness of Malheur and Baker counties means that outreach workers are often not able to immediately respond to a police arrest. Yet efforts to reach people caught with a small amount of drugs and help them obtain services persist. Peer recovery workers follow up after someone is arrested, armed with information that police give them. They make phone calls, knock on doors and visit homeless camps, hoping to make the initial connections to help people. PART 4: Oregonians have mixed feelings about new deflection programs Across Oregon's recovery community, 83 people lent their voices to a Capital Chronicle survey about the deflection programs. They include people in recovery, people who use drugs and those with loved ones in addiction. Their views were decidedly mixed — and reflect the daunting challenge that lies ahead. Nearly 60% said easy access to drugs on the streets is a barrier for people who are battling a fentanyl addiction. But for deflection to work in the long term, they said, Oregon needs to have a wider treatment system to help people. Nearly 64% said inadequate treatment programs remain an obstacle, with or without deflection programs. One of them, Solara Salazar, runs a company with six houses in Portland for people in recovery. 'Imagine there was a plane crash and there were 300 people with severe injuries,' Salazar said. '911 is called and ambulances arrive and fire trucks. But there is no hospital. They tell the injured people to show up at a hospital the next morning at 7 a.m. and one of them might get seen. That's our current system in a nutshell.' To subscribe to our free daily newsletter, go here. And to make a donation so we can continue to do this work, go here. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Moving Beyond Addiction: Oregonians have mixed feelings about new deflection programs
A man stands handcuffed in a park while Hillsboro police cite him with a misdemeanor drug possession charge on Nov. 19, 2024. He was released with a citation and encouraged to enter recovery services. (Photo by Ben Botkin/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregonians are cautiously optimistic about the state's new approach to helping people addicted to drugs, but they remain worried that people still struggle to access limited services for treatment, a Capital Chronicle survey and interviews show. They're especially worried about the deadly nature of fentanyl, which has washed over the state and caused overdoses to spike. 'Those of us who have worked in (substance use disorder) treatment – 30 years, for me – have not seen anything like the impacts of fentanyl with regards to what is needed in treatment once a person gets into services,' said Tina Bialas, director of Central City Concern's Letty Owings Center, which helps Portland-area women in recovery. Editor's note: In this four-part series, reporter Ben Botkin spent more than seven months exploring the early impact of Oregon's new approach to addiction. He combed through state and county records and traveled across the state, meeting with dozens of law enforcement officers, advocates and addiction specialists. He also spent time with people who sell drugs and are addicted to them. She was among more than 100 people who provided perspectives on drug addiction and the state's deflection programs as part of our series, 'Moving beyond addiction.' Oregonians from 18 of the state's 36 counties, from the coast to Portland and eastern Oregon, responded to our questions. The Capital Chronicle surveyed people through our website, newsletter and through social media from August 2024 to January 1. Eighty-three responded, and they reflect a wide range of people with a deep bench of experience in addiction, and often personal. The group includes people who are in recovery, people who work in the field and those with loved ones on drugs. Four people who responded have lost friends or family to addiction. Sixty-one percent said they have a friend or family member addicted to drugs. The Capital Chronicle, in collaboration with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, also held listening sessions with treatment providers and at Recovery Outreach Community Center, a gathering place in Salem for people to socialize and encourage one another on their journeys out of addiction. And a reporter visited people from the coast to eastern Oregon in parks and homeless encampments in Seaside, Salem and Ontario. In all, the reporter traveled nearly 540 miles across Oregon. Their responses reflect the complicated challenges Oregon faces as it enters the new phase of fighting drug addiction. A majority of people are concerned about the reality of overcoming addiction while living in the shadows, even with the new programs. Nearly 60% who responded to the survey said easy access to drugs on the streets is a barrier people face who are addicted to fentanyl and other illicit drugs. That remains true in the months since Oregon lawmakers passed House Bill 4002 in 2024, which recriminalized low-level drug possession and allowed counties to start deflection programs. Since the law took effect in September, police throughout Oregon have made about 3,300 arrests for misdemeanor drug possession, state data show. An arrest doesn't necessarily mean the person will be booked in jail for the misdemeanor charge. Often, police may cite them and give them a court date. Many of the people in those cases are not eligible for deflection for one reason or another. Many arrests involve other charges besides drug possession, which can make someone ineligible for the programs. Of those, about 1,110 arrests involved only misdemeanor drug possession and no other charges. Other factors, such as having another pending case or residency outside Oregon, can also prevent their eligibility. The new law also gives police and prosecutors the discretion on whether to make deflection eligible. In comparison, 416 people have entered deflection since the programs started across the state. More than 300 have continued to stay in the programs. It's a small start: Some rural counties, like Baker and Malheur, have only had a few people in the programs. But officials say they want to go slow rather than roll out a larger program that fails. And support for the concept of deflection — putting people in treatment as an alternative to a court charge — is strong, judging from the survey results. Sixty-eight percent said they would choose a drug treatment program instead of arrest and a misdemeanor possession charge. Just 5% said they would rather be arrested and go to jail. The remaining were uncertain. Even so, Oregonians are acutely concerned about the lack of treatment resources for people. Nearly 64% said inadequate treatment programs also are an obstacle. Solara Salazar, executive director of a network of West Coast Sober Housing, which has six houses for people in recovery in Portland, said the lack of resources is dire, forcing people to wait. 'Imagine there was a plane crash and there were 300 people with severe injuries,' Salazar said. '911 is called and ambulances arrive and fire trucks. But there is no hospital. They tell the injured people to show up at a hospital the next morning at 7 a.m. and one of them might get seen. That's our current system in a nutshell.' Drug addiction treatment ranked among the most difficult of services to access. Among the 40 people surveyed who have accessed or tried to access drug addiction treatment, 22 of them said it was the most difficult service to obtain, for many of them easier than other services like food assistance, job training and Medicaid. Only two of the 40 said it was the easiest service to obtain. People in recovery are stepping in to fill the gap where they can. One of the survey participants, Jose Martinez, an outreach supervisor at 4D Recovery, works with police and people in addiction on deflection efforts in Washington County. In November, he helped a Hillsboro police officer during a response to a man found with drugs, a call that a Capital Chronicle reporter observed. Martinez, in recovery for nearly three years, formerly used drugs that include fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. That makes him a peer, or someone who's recovered from addiction and can relate to those still struggling. 'It's very vital to have the relationship to be able to be the peer who understands and the lived experience to be able to provide individuals recourse,' he said in the survey. At the same time, Oregonians surveyed also say the task of accessing treatment, especially residential care, is a challenge. For years, Oregon's elected officials have acknowledged the need for more access to residential care and poured millions into new facilities. Yet that takes time, even with money. New projects need to be planned, permitted and approved. Even then, providers have raised concerns that the state is slow to sign off on projects, leading to delays in when new facilities can serve people. The ideas – and work – continues in Salem and local communities. This session, Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, wants to pass legislation that would start a pilot program that provides new emergency housing that could shelter people as they wait for beds in residential facilities to open up. In Multnomah County, officials are mapping out plans for a 24-hour sobering and crisis stabilization center that will have up to 50 beds for people in the early stages of withdrawal management. Oregon has tools to prevent drug addiction and overdoses – and help those who want to enter recovery. The resources apply to people in different situations: Educational programs are available to prevent youth from falling into addiction. Hotlines serve Oregonians in crisis or ready to shake off years of addiction. The state also has training tools so employers and the public can prepare to administer narcan, which reverses opioid overdoses and saves lives. Here's a look at what's available: In a general crisis, call or text 988 for yourself or someone you know. You also can visit a counselor online at You also can call the state's Alcohol and Drug Help Line at 800-923-4357 or text 'Recovery Now' to 839863. Run by Lines for Life, the 24/7 hotline provides people guidance in different situations such as making the first step, suffering withdrawal symptoms or finding local treatment options. The Oregon Health Authority runs the Oregon Hopeline, which provides callers with information about available resources and information about the changes to Oregon's misdemeanor drug possession law. You can call the line at 833-975-0505. Local treatment providers and programs The Oregon Health Authority lists local treatment providers in its provider directory. Lines for Life has a provider directory that lists provider information and the health insurance programs they accept, including the Oregon Health Plan. Overdose reversals Reverse Overdose Oregon has free training resources for employers and other organizations equipped with overdose reversal kits. Youth prevention Before drug use starts, parents and educators can talk to children about the danger of fentanyl. The New Drug Talk Oregon provides resources like advice on how parents should talk to their children about fentanyl, overdoses and how to stay safe with social media. Song for Charlie provides information and resources for youth, including the dangers of counterfeit pills that are laced with fentanyl. The state also has a fentanyl toolkit to guide Oregon schools and educators in youth education and prevention and responding to overdoses. State law also requires public schools to teach prevention lessons in sixth, seventh and eighth grades and at least once in high school. Reporter Ben Botkin produced this story as a 2024 USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism National Fellow and Engagement Grantee. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
