Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today issued the following statement praising Oregon law enforcement for their sponsorship of drug policy reform:

“I want to thank Oregon’s sheriffs and chiefs of police for their bold and important sponsorship of this drug policy reform proposal. Our work on the Attorney General’s Task Force on Law Enforcement Profiling has taught me that any discussion of the impact of law enforcement activities on our communities of color must also include a discussion of drug policies. In Oregon, as across the nation, drug sentencing laws, which often impose felony sentences for the possession of even a small amount of drugs, have fallen hardest on our diverse communities. This outdated approach often deprives those struggling with drug addiction of the housing, jobs and other opportunities necessary to overcome their addiction without providing the treatment that they desperately need.

Drug abuse is an epidemic across our state, but severe punishment is not the way to break the cycle of addiction. I look forward to working with our partners in law enforcement, the legislature and the Governor to craft legislation in 2017 that will help correct this profound inequity.”

Contact:

Kristina Edmunson, Department of Justice, Kristina.Edmunson@doj.state.or.us, 503-378-6002