Law Enforcement Encounters After M110: Gaps in Decriminalization and Experiences of People Who Use Drugs

• In Event: Policy Panel: Measure 110 Research Findings: Assessing the Impacts of Oregon’s Drug Decriminalization Law

Abstract

Our objective was to understand how much law enforcement was interacting with people who use drugs (PWUD) and how PWUD characterized those interactions two years after personal possession was decriminalized in Oregon. We conducted qualitative interviews with 32 PWUD across eight Oregon counties from March to November 2023. One-hour interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an immersion/crystallization method. PWUD felt there was a decrease in law enforcement’s focus on drug possession and public substance use since M110’s implementation, though experiences varied widely across different jurisdictions and interactions. Despite this shift, PWUD report continued targeting and penalization by law enforcement, especially for those unhoused. PWUD noted that law enforcement rarely provided resources or assistance related to M110. The inconsistency and unpredictability of police responses, coupled with the criminalization of being unhoused, left PWUD feeling vulnerable despite decriminalization. However, PWUD expressed hope that Measure 110 might lead to fewer negative encounters with law enforcement, reduced time in jail, and a reallocation of policing towards violent crimes and larger-scale drug distribution. This research underscores the importance of including community voices in evaluating policy impacts and highlights the ways PWUD are still heavily policed after M110.

Authors

• Alexis Cooke, Comagine Health

• Danielle Good, Comagine Health

• Soomin Shin, Comagine Health

• Kyn Kappesser, Comagine Health

• Morgan Godvin, Northeastern University

• Lynn Wenger, RTI International

• Gillian Leichtling, Comagine Health

• Barrot Lambdin, RTI International

• Alex Kral, RTI International