Linkage facilitation for opioid use disorder in criminal legal system contexts: a primer for researchers, clinicians, and legal practitioners
At the intersection of drug policy, the opioid crisis, and fragmented care systems, persons with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States are significantly vulnerable to contact with the criminal legal system (CLS). In CLS settings, provision of evidence-based treatment for OUD is variable and often secondary to punitive approaches. Linkage facilitation at every touch point along the CLS Sequential Intercept Model has potential to redirect persons with OUD into recovery-oriented systems of care, increase evidence-based OUD treatment connections, and therefore reduce CLS re-exposure risk. Research in this area is still nascent. Thus, this narrative review explores the state of the science on linkage facilitation across the varied CLS contexts, including general barriers, facilitators, and opportunities for using linkage facilitation for OUD treatment and related services. Following the CLS Sequential Intercept Model, the specific CLS contexts examined include community services, police encounters, the courts (pre- and post-disposition), incarceration (pre-trial detention, jail, and prison), reentry (from jails, prisons, and unified systems), and community supervision (probation and parole). Examples of innovative linkage facilitation interventions are drawn from the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN). Areas for future research and policy change are highlighted to advance the science of linkage facilitation for OUD services in the CLS.
Authors
- Amanda Fallin‐Bennett (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9491-3908)
- Khirsten J. Wilson
- Dennis P. Watson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7208-5160)
- Milan F. Satcher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0685-8484)
- Nickolas Zaller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7363-3437)
- Ashli J. Sheidow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0081-6179)
- Tess K. Drazdowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2339-0780)
- Anthony Coetzer-Liversage (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0219-7914)
- Steven Belenko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9092-9715)
- Aaron Hogue (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8365-9545)
- Noel A. Vest (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8014-9726)
- Brandon del Pozo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6481-2196)
- L. A. R. Stein (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7116-8834)
- Randy M. Stevens (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8454-6956)
- Michael R. McCart
- Patrick F. Hibbard
- Alysse M. Schultheis
Institutions
- Dartmouth College (US)
- Boston University (US)
- Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice (US)
- Project HOPE (US)
- University of Kentucky (US)
- University of Rhode Island (US)
- Brown University (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Department of Behavioral Health (US)
- East Harlem Tutorial Program (US)
- Oregon Social Learning Center (US)
- Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center (US)
- Chestnut Health Systems (US)
- Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (US)
- Hope Foundation (US)
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (US)
- Temple University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Health & Justice
- Published
- 2024-08-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00291-8
- Citations
- 16
- Primary Topic
- Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.69
Funders
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- National Institute on Drug Abuse
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke