County Deflection Program Extended

The Lincoln County Deflection program, under the leadership of District Attorney Jenna Wallace, has had the first grant extended by one quarter and will be running until at least September 30^th.  The Governor signed HB 3069, which will continue funding Deflection programs across the state for 2025-2027. The deflection program helps those who have been arrested for a small amount of drugs or have committed a non-victim crime. Instead of going to jail and going into the criminal justice system, they can choose deflection and go into treatment, where they are less likely to commit crimes or abuse drugs in the future.

28 people have been offered deflection services since the program began in January of this year. Five individuals declined to participate in the deflection program. Of the 23 who agreed to participate, 11 were unable to complete the requirements and 12 are currently active in the program. Participants are from all areas of Lincoln County. Most participants in the program have been referred by the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office. As the charges are presented to the DA’s office, if it is determined that the charges are eligible for the program, it is offered to the defendant. Local police and Lincoln County Sheriff's Deputiess can also make referrals for the program. The majority of the drugs defendants are treated for are meth and fentanyl.

As part of treatment, everyone is required to take an American Society of Addiction Medicine assessment and engage with their chosen treatment provider. Participants are required to complete UAs 3 days a week. 4 participants have been to detox treatment, 2 have received medically assisted treatment and 5 have been to residential treatment.  Shannon Heisler the deflection program coordinator said “The DA’S office is hopeful that as they continue to work with law enforcement, they will see more people in the program, and we are hopeful it will lead to a reduction in crime and drug use in Lincoln County.” It is important to remember Heisler added that this program is saving lives.