Multnomah County STEP Court sees 12 graduate, low recidivism in first year
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Twelve people have graduated Multnomah County’s STEP Court as the program shows a low recidivism rate within its first year, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Friday.
The graduates are the first group to have completed the “first-of-its-kind” program which combines treatment for drugs and mental health for offenders facing certain Measure 11 crimes. STEP Court excludes sex offenses, kidnapping, domestic violence and homicides.
The program launched in January 2023 and has seen 59 participants and an 8.5% recidivism rate, according to the DA’s Office. Meanwhile, the DA’s office says Multnomah County has a 46.8% recidivism rate for high-risk individuals convicted of person crimes.
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Instead of giving violent offenders lengthy prison sentences, eligible candidates go to multiple court dates a week and receive behavioral health treatment under the Strategic Treatment and Engagement Program.
The program uses risk needs assessments to determine the level of treatment, supervision, court appearances and other support participants need. After completing five phases, participants move into an aftercare program for at least 90 days.
Graduates of STEP Court continue to be supervised by the Department of Community Justice until they finish their supervision sentence.
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The DA’s office argues treatments for drug and alcohol use and mental illness lower rates of re-offending more than incarceration.
“As DA, it is important for me to ensure we keep our communities safe and find new, smarter, more effective approaches to criminal justice, and this program does just that,” said DA Mike Schmidt. “Accountability is at the core of STEP, and we are getting better public safety results than incarceration by tailoring our responses to individual needs, addressing root causes of criminality, and keeping communities together.”
“I had the privilege of serving as a circuit court judge in Multnomah County for 20 years, and I am proud to have been a part of launching STEP Court, which is the first of its kind in the nation because of the population it serves,” said Judge Eric Bloch.
Bloch added, “STEP Court is the latest application of treatment courts, among the most studied and validated criminal justice interventions in existence. In short, treatment courts work. STEP represents the first time we’ve used a treatment court model for individuals convicted of certain Ballot Measure 11 crimes. We should not shy away from an opportunity to use the tools we know can be more restorative of community safety and more restorative of the individual.”
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