Karen Wheeler, alcohol and drug policy manager for the state Office of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said the waiver was filed because Oregon is unable to meet its minimum federal funding requirements for alcohol and other drug programs. "We really can't afford to lose any more ground," Wheeler said. "And if we do, those costs are going to be directly transferred to criminal justice, juvenile justice and child welfare -- so all we do is shift money around."

Frustration has also been growing among probation officers who say that the limited availability of drug rehabilitation programs makes it impossible for them to help residents with serious addiction problems stay off the streets and avoid crime.

"I have seen no success at getting anybody into treatment programs these days," said Vicki Dizney, a Deschutes County probation officer. "It's very, very slow. I'm just totally frustrated."

A 2002 federal survey ranked Oregon among the top 10 states in the country for illegal drug use among those ages 12 and older. Yet the state is ranked 45th in the nation for accessibility to alcohol and other drug treatment programs.

"We think at least 80 percent of the people we see in court on criminal matters have some kind of chemical dependency," said Deschutes County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Michael Sullivan. "There's a good chance these folks will reoffend because they're addicted to just an insidious drug, and in most cases, it's methamphetamine."