Joel Wirtz is the co-executive director of the Deschutes Defenders, the public defense firm for Deschutes County. The agency handles two-thirds of all cases involving people who can't afford a defense lawyer. Wirtz has tried cases from shoplifting to murder, but he said he's most proud of his work as a defense attorney for Mental Health Court, helping people with a history of trauma, mental illness and addiction.
We invited Wirtz on to the podcast to talk about Measure 110, the proposal on the general election ballot which would decriminalize hard drugs and shift money from state marijuana taxes towards addiction treatment. Wirtz brings nearly two decades of experience working with drug offenders to explain how the current system of drug convictions and jail time shuts people out of opportunities for employment and housing. He also talks about the success of decriminalization programs in Switzerland and Portugal where the government takes a health-based approach to people struggling with addiction.
