(Portland, OR) -- In the first 30 days of its drug deflection program, Multnomah County says local law enforcement officers referred 71 eligible people to the program, instead of arresting them on misdemeanor charges. For those 71 people, outreach workers made 136 referrals for sobering services, inpatient and outpatient treatment, housing and mental health support. By law, individuals who opt for deflection have 30 days to access those services. If they don't, they become ineligible. If they're stopped again during that time, they could go to jail.