Incarcerated Individuals

As criminal justice agencies grapple with the impacts of the opioid epidemic, an increasing number of correctional facilities are using medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in order to initiate or maintain treatment among individuals experiencing opioid use disorders. Despite the potential for MAT to reduce recidivism and overdose fatalities, many jails and prisons are reluctant to allow individuals to be on MAT medications due to diversion concerns.

Jurisdictions across the country face challenges in developing case plans that balance criminogenic and behavioral health needs. In response, The Council of State Governments Justice Center developed the web-based Collaborative Comprehensive Case Plans tool, which builds upon Adults with Behavioral Health Needs under Correctional Supervision, a systems-planning framework for prioritizing supervision and treatment services.

For the overwhelming majority of people in federal and state prisons who will eventually reenter the community, finding employment plays a critical role in preventing recidivism. That said, it is not strictly job placement services that can make the difference between reincarceration and successful reentry; ensuring people who are returning to communities from incarceration have the skills to not only find, but also retain, jobs is also key.

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Peer recovery support services (PRSS) are increasingly being offered across diverse criminal justice settings to address opioid abuse and achieve positive outcomes. Peer specialists use their lived experience of addiction, criminal justice involvement, and recovery to assist others on their path to recovery. PRSS in jail settings offers a unique opportunity to address the needs of individuals with opioid use disorder while they are incarcerated and upon reentry.

Veterans who are incarcerated have unique needs for services, which often include behavioral health treatment. In response, some correctional facilities have developed programming tailored for veterans in their facilities and have curated partnerships with justice programs in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration to better serve them.

TASC, Inc. (Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities), is a not-for-profit organization that provides health recovery management services for individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Since 1976, the organization has provided and/or facilitated access to community-based treatment and recovery support services for individuals who are involved in public systems such as criminal and juvenile justice, corrections, child welfare, public aid, and public housing.

Sponsored by the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and the International Community Corrections Association (ICCA), the 2019 Forum on Criminal Justice will showcase programs, research, and policies that will help justice practitioners, researchers, and decisionmakers address pressing public safety issues.

Training, technical assistance and research.

RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development.

The Vera Institute of Justice combines expertise in research, demonstration projects, and technical assistance to help leaders in government and civil society improve the systems people rely on for justice and safety.

Vera is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit center for justice policy and practice, with offices in New York City, Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. Their projects and reform initiatives, typically conducted in partnership with local, state, or national officials, are located across the United States and around the world.