NATHAN’S POLICY PLAN

ACCOUNTABILITY

We must take lawless behavior seriously and enforce our laws. Studies show the best way to deter crime is the certainty of getting caught, the swiftness of the penalty, and the severity of the punishment. Even 'petty' crimes, like theft, vandalism, and littering, public use of illicit drugs and public highs, all contribute to the overall feeling of safety and wellbeing of a community. It’s all of the “small things” that have added up to create an environment of chaos, and completely broken the social contract we all agree to as citizens of a community. When we don’t enforce, we tell our community we don’t care.

1. Rebuild Relationships with All Partners in the Justice System

Current Cause & Effect: Unclear priorities by the DA for what will be prosecuted = Fewer arrests and referrals to the DA by law enforcement

Nathan has worked at the District Attorney’s office for over two decades and has healthy relationships with both law enforcement and the community. He will continue to work to create a healthy working relationship with all partners in the justice system with clear goals and objectives so that all parts of our justice system can work together to create a healthier ecosystem of public safety.

2. Prioritize Enforcement of Drug Trafficking and Open Air Use

Current Cause & Effect: Meaningless consequences for drug dealers or open use of drugs = A City overrun with drug dealers and open air users

Nathan will prioritize cases of drug trafficking and open air drug use and ensure they result in swift penalties and meaningful consequences. Not all penalties result in jail - for some, the best route is required drug recovery or mental health treatment. The job of the District Attorney is to assess each case and determine how to best make both the victim and the perpetrator whole again, and that does not always mean jail.

3. Enforce Failure to Appear in Court

Current Cause & Effect: We do not charge people for Failing to Appear for their court date = Lawless behavior abounds as there are no consequences

Nathan will charge people that fail to appear for their court date. Everyone is able to work with the system to have these expunged if they begin to work within the system, however, at present, the number is so high it is clearly exploitative of a system lacking any real consequences.

Measure 110

Measure 110 eviscerated our ability to provide the level of care and support for the addicts in our community and replaced it with nothing. This is the policy enthusiastically endorsed by Mike Schmidt and the results are completely clear. Addicts receive no intervention, the community receives no relief, and our most vulnerable die by the hundreds every year. It is not a progressive policy to let people die on our streets – we must act now to undo the damage Mike Schmidt and Measure 110 caused by implementing immediate and intensive strategies to solve this crisis.

Six-Point Plan to Address Drug Crisis

1) Criminalization of hard drugs at the Class A misdemeanor level to provide accountability for treatment

  • Accountability matters. Drug addicts are hardly in the best place to determine their need for treatment. We must be able to support our efforts to encourage treatment with appropriate accountability measures.

  • Supervision matters. In order to require supervision, we need to have a sufficient criminal sanction attached that we can authorize adequate supervision.

  • Class A Misdemeanor matters. The criminal justice system is replete with ways to give time off of criminal sentences, only with a Class A Misdemeanor do we have sufficient time to allow addicts to cycle through relapse and recovery while maintaining the ability to provide treatment with accountability.

2) Detox centers for those in crisis

  • Crisis support matters. Drug addicts on the street need careful support while initially attempting sobriety. A Detox center is the medically appropriate place for an addict to receive care while going through the very difficult process of sobering up.

  • Diversion matters. The criminal justice system doesn't need to start with a jail sentence. It can begin with recovery and detox. Finding sobriety should be the first goal of any criminal justice intervention and that is best effected through detox, not jail.

  • Choices matter. Giving officers on the street more options than to either drive on by or send someone to jail is a critical component to a functioning community solution to addiction. The police should be able to respond to an addict still living with their parents and not send them straight to jail, but to help the addict reach detox.

3) Residential treatment beds so no-one is waiting on the streets to die or languishing in our jails, 

  • Extended sobriety matters. Once an addict has passed the initial hurdle of obtaining sobriety, it is critical to follow-through with highly structured sober living. Without the investment in sober living following that initial sobriety, relapse is all but certain. 

  • Transition matters. The process of moving an addict from a life on the streets, typically rife with danger and criminal behavior, to a sober living environment filled with pro-social activities is a difficult one. Residential treatment provides that bridge to independence and sober living.

  • Medication management matters. Addicts on our streets are often dealing with a host of unresolved and improperly medicated mental health challenges. Residential treatment provides a critical opportunity to intervene on these dimensions and get a stable medication management plan started. 

4) Diversion programs that reward progress with the removal of criminal penalties, 

  • Success matters. The core interest of the criminal justice system when dealing with addiction based crimes is to intervene in the immediate need for sobriety and transition an addict into stable recovery. Once that is complete, the criminal justice system has accomplished all it can for the individual and that success should be rewarded.

  • Clean criminal records matter. We know the ongoing stigma and collateral consequences to having a criminal history full of drug convictions - from housing challenges to educational opportunities. Once an addict has reached stable sobriety, they should have every opportunity to wipe these records clean and begin fresh.

  • Speciality courts matter. Multnomah County used to be one of the pre-eminent leaders in diversion programs for drug offenders. From our community court system to our STOP and START drug courts, Multnomah County led the way in evidence-based diversion programs that avoided the overreliance on jails and focused entirely on treatment success. Mike Schmidt has allowed these programs to fall apart in the single-minded pursuit of decriminalizing drug abuse. We need these proven programs back and working for our community, not outside interest groups bent on forcing Oregon to experiment with drug law policies they don't have to live with.

5) Transportation and housing options for those seeking sobriety outside of high drug areas; particularly downtown Portland, 

  • Location matters. Everyone who has lived or walked through our downtown knows the terrible prevalence of drugs on our streets. We need options for quick and easy transit to sober living and treatment centers located in sober environments. 

  • Housing matters. After the initial investment in treatment, we cannot simply send addicts back out on the street. This is all but inviting relapse and a waste of the resources spent in obtaining this delicate state of sobriety. We must build effective sober living environments for addicts exiting those early stages of crisis treatment to live.

  • Transportation matters. Portland rightly prides itself on a robust public transit system. This system must be expanded to reach sober living environments with timely transit to supervision, case management, housing, work and treatment needs. We must be intentional about our transit options to ensure that addicts have the tools at their disposal to move to and from each of these critical areas of maintaining their sobriety.

6) Case supervisors to provide thoughtful monitoring and referrals to work, housing and sobriety support. 

  • Case planning matters. Without supervision by engaged case managers, we are setting ourselves up for failure. We need dedicated supervisors to be checking homes for sober living conditions, ensuring that pro-social environments are maintained, requiring accountability for seeking work or education, and interfacing with the criminal justice system to report back on successes and challenges.

  • Work release matters. For those that have gainful employment, addiction should not interfere with that critical opportunity. We must have sufficient resources to verify employment and maintain people struggling with addiction in our community.

  • Collaboration matters. Addiction recovery requires the intervention and support of so many different individuals and groups: from the cop walking a beat who sees the same person every day, to the detox center operating to provide immediate crisis intervention, to community based treatment centers focused on stabilizing recovery, to long term housing and employment services and everything in between. Proper supervision interfaces with all of these service providers and creates a full and thorough report on the progress of the individual from addiction to recovery. 

Experience

An elected District Attorney typically has years of experience, and understands the cause and effect of every policy that gets implemented. What we are experiencing is the implementation of untested policies with an inexperienced leader. If you were to hire someone to lead a surgical department, you would want the most experienced leader, someone with the most depth and breadth of experience. You would not hire someone that recently completed medical school, and has only completed a few types of low-risk surgeries. This position is no different, and we must prioritize experience. Nathan has nearly 25 years of experience was a prosecutor, and has done every level of case, from low level misdemeanors and strategic prosecution, to child sex abuse and homicides.

1. Publish Weekly Suggested Bail vs Bail Imposed

At present we do not track the suggested bail Deputy District Attorneys propose to the judge for any given case, and the imposed bail is not easily accessible.

Nathan believes a way we can hold more layers of the justice system accountable is to provide more transparency to the public of what the District Attorney is trying to do, and the various parts of the justice system that effect the outcome.

2. Formally Request Policy Change Requiring Public Defenders to Share Their Caseload Before Declining Cases

A vital aspect of better understanding and addressing the needs of crime victims is the investment in long-term research and data collection on the impact of crime on victims. Nathan Vasquez will ensure this research encompasses not only the immediate effects of crime but also the long-term repercussions and the efficacy of various systemic interventions. By systematically gathering data within the District Attorney's office on the impacts of crime victims over time, Deputy District Attorneys and their partners in the justice system can gain valuable insights into the most effective strategies for supporting a crime victim’s recovery. This evidence-based approach will allow us to tailor our policies and programs to the specific needs of crime victims, ensuring that they receive the care and assistance they deserve.

Additionally, promoting the use of technology and digital platforms can help facilitate more effective communication between victims and the various stakeholders within the criminal justice system. For example, by creating a secure online portal where victims can access case updates, submit evidence, or communicate directly with law enforcement and legal professionals, we can streamline the process and ensure that victims remain informed and engaged every step of the way.

3. Begin Tracking Failures to Appear in Court

Offering appropriate resources and advocates to crime victims is central to Nathan Vasquez's vision for a better Multnomah County. Nathan is committed to investing in a more robust Victim Advocate Program within MCDA, and working side by side with Victim's Rights Attorneys, System and Community Based Advocates, and Community Based Organizations to make sure every victim in our community is supported and validated through the hard journey to restoration.