Portland mayor eyes jail alternative for mentally ill, drug addicted

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Public records show Portland officials are in the early stages of exploring whether the city may create a jail alternative for people arrested for non-violent acts related to mental health or addiction.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Deputy City Attorney Andrea Barraclough responded to Mayor Ted Wheeler’s senior adviser in September, saying the she believes the city could create such a space.

She also said that type of facility would need approval from state regulators and likely would need to follow the same laws as correctional facilities.

Wheeler’s senior aide, Berk Nelson, said Monday that the mayor’s office, in coordination with Multnomah County, asked for the legal research on a jail alternative.

He says officials want to find mentally ill or drug addicted people a better place to go other than the county lock-up if arrested.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com