A lack of funding and the passage of Measure 110 dealt a double whammy to Oregon drug courts. Even as fentanyl became a scourge, one of the best tools to help addicts largely faded away.

Programs in Deschutes, Benton, Polk and Multnomah counties shut down in recent months or years and others have been hit with funding problems. But in this short legislative session, the Oregon Legislature voted to increase funding to $37 million this two-year budget cycle, an increase of almost 50%.

Legislators also recriminalized drug possession, voting to creates a new misdemeanor for people caught with small amounts of illicit drugs. That might send more people into drug courts tailored to lesser offenders.

Reporter Aimee Green took a deep dive into the history of drug courts in Oregon, how they work and how people have benefited from them. She talked to policymakers, recovering addicts and judges.

Green joined Editor Therese Bottomly to talk about her article (Bottomly’s sister is a Multnomah County judge).

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