PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Even as Multnomah County's deflection program comes under scrutiny, one year after it launched, county leaders said they're taking steps to ensure more people can get the help they need.

The idea is to offer people services for possession of small amounts of hard drugs, rather than sending them straight to jail. However, the program out of the Coordinated Care Pathways Center on Southeast Sandy Boulevard isn't producing the desired outcomes, according to critics.

Since standing up this new program, county leaders admit the number of people successfully completing deflection started a bit low. However, they said expanded hours, sobering services and strengthened partnerships with police have already made a big difference.

Still, critics argue the numbers don't add

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