{"title":"Changes in legal referrals to specialty substance use disorder treatment from 2015-2019.","authors":"Carrie E Fry, Jacob Harris, Marguerite E Burns","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00297-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00297-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The policy landscape around substance use has changed dramatically in the past decade, which may have affected the number and characteristics of treatment episodes for substance use disorder (SUD). In this study, we examine changes in the volume of SUD treatment referrals from the legal system and compare changes in the composition of substances used by referral source. We used publicly available discharge data on specialty SUD treatment episodes in the U.S. from 2015-2019 and included episodes involving adults that are discharged from specialty SUD treatment facilities during the study. We calculated descriptive statistics of specialty SUD treatment discharges in each year and aggregated across all years by referral source and substance(s) reported upon admission. To test differences by year and referral source, we conducted z-tests of proportions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The proportion of referrals to specialty SUD treatment from the legal system declined between 2015 and 2019 (p < 0.001). However, referrals from probation/parole and diversionary programs grew over time (p < 0.001) in number and proportion over time. Legal referrals were most often associated with alcohol or cannabis use, though referrals for these substances declined from 2015-2019.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This research lays the groundwork for future investigations to evaluate the effect of important policy changes on referral sources to specialty SUD treatment and the quality and outcomes associated with referrals to treatment from the legal system.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11539304/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142584613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction: Cervical cancer screening barriers and facilitators from the perspectives of women with a history of criminal-legal system involvement and substance use.","authors":"Amanda Emerson, Marissa Dogan, Elizabeth Hawes, Kiana Wilson, Sofía Mildrum Chana, Patricia J Kelly, Megan Comfort, Megha Ramaswamy","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00295-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00295-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11520804/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142548124","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L Noël Marsh, Camille Kramer, Rebecca J Shlafer, Carolyn B Sufrin
{"title":"Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the experiences of incarcerated pregnant people.","authors":"L Noël Marsh, Camille Kramer, Rebecca J Shlafer, Carolyn B Sufrin","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00296-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00296-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted incarcerated populations, yet few studies have investigated the specific effects on incarcerated pregnant people. This study compares pregnant people's experiences of pregnancy and parenting in prison before and during the pandemic in order to explore the impacts of COVID-19 on this population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted semi-structured interviews with pregnant people at a state prison as part of a larger study on pregnant people's experiences during incarceration. Interviews explored participants' experiences and decision-making related to pregnancy and parenting while incarcerated. This secondary analysis compared interviews conducted between June 2019 and March 2020 (pre-COVID-19) to interviews conducted between June and November 2020 (during COVID-19). Interviews conducted during the pandemic included questions about the impact of COVID-19 on participants' experiences. Brief three and six-month follow-up interviews were conducted when possible.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>COVID-19 introduced new stressors and exacerbated preexisting stressors around participants' reproductive and parenting experiences. Three major themes emerged: 1) incarceration causes mental, emotional, and physical distress during pregnancy and parenting; 2) COVID-19 worsened conditions of incarceration, contributing to participants' distress; and 3) the introduction of quarantine protocols during the pandemic felt uniquely punitive for pregnant and postpartum people.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic was characterized as a major crisis and primary threat to public health, particularly for incarcerated individuals. Yet just as COVID-19 exacerbated preexisting disparities for marginalized, non-incarcerated communities, incarcerated pregnant people similarly described a \"worsening\" of already-intolerable conditions. The indiscriminate application of quarantine protocols for pregnant people reflects broader carceral logics of control that do not account for the wellbeing of pregnant and postpartum people and their infants, as evidenced by current practices of infant separation, a lack of support, and physically taxing living conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11490136/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142476825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos Botão, Ana Mutola, Samuel Nuvunga, Auria Banze, Rachid Muleia, Makini Boothe, Cynthia Semá Baltazar
{"title":"Facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the biobehavioral survey among incarcerated individuals and correctional personnel in Mozambique, 2021- a descriptive study.","authors":"Carlos Botão, Ana Mutola, Samuel Nuvunga, Auria Banze, Rachid Muleia, Makini Boothe, Cynthia Semá Baltazar","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00292-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00292-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mozambique implemented in 2021 a formative assessment in 22 prisons to identify the operational and logistical needs for the second round of the Biobehavioral Survey (BBS). Barriers and facilitators that could be anticipated in conducting BBS in prisons, in preparation for implementation, was evaluated using semi-structured questionnaires administered to key informants (directors and other kind of managers staff). The data were cleaned and analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the categorical variables were summarized by means of simple frequencies and percentages. In most prisons the current prison capacity far exceeds the theoretical capacity, 40.9% have a theoretical capacity of ≥ 50 inmates, 81.8% have inmates who exceed their theoretical capacity. In the country half of the prisons receive only male inmates, and only one female, 54.5% of the prisons visited have inmates under 18 years of age, 72.7% of the prisons had a private space available for the survey, the penitentiary establishments have the physical space for study; ensuring the safety of staff within the facilities; involvement of correctional officers and a clinical focal point. However, barriers such as time management due to prison opening hours, prison laws, restrictions, or permits for research may change without notice due to security, lockdowns, riots, or other situations that may hinder the implementation of research. The implementation of successive and regular rounds of BBS in different environments, contexts and populations constitute opportunities for generating information and indicators not always captured by programmatic data and not only as an opportunity for offering and making healthcare available in prison environments that in a routine context, but these populations normally have also not had equal opportunities. Currently, little is known about the implementation of a BBS in a correctional environment and only a few barriers can be anticipated, for Mozambique's context, these challenges and obstacles can be overcome through clear communication and collaboration with officials at all levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11445966/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142355860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alwyn Cohall, Renee Cohall, Laura Staeheli, Curtis Dolezal, Stephanie Campos, Sin Lee, Megan O'Grady, Susan Tross, Patrick Wilson, Katherine Elkington
{"title":"Screening for STIs among criminal legal system involved youth of color in community settings.","authors":"Alwyn Cohall, Renee Cohall, Laura Staeheli, Curtis Dolezal, Stephanie Campos, Sin Lee, Megan O'Grady, Susan Tross, Patrick Wilson, Katherine Elkington","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00288-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00288-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sexually transmitted infections are a significant, and growing, public health problem in this country - particularly among youth. Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the community burden of infection. Preliminary studies indicate that individuals involved in the criminal legal system have high rates of infection. While gaps exist in providing screening for incarcerated individuals, there are minimal efforts that have been initiated to screen individuals diverted from incarceration. In this study, we examined the STI risk profile and feasibility of screening for sexually transmitted infections for youth who were attending an alternative sentencing program after arrest for a minor offense. Youth were screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea using urine-based nucleic acid amplification tests.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 307 participants engaged in a program providing supportive services for criminal legal system involved youth at the Brooklyn Court House in New York City, 186 agreed to screening for sexually transmitted infections, and 8% were positive for chlamydia, gonorrhea, or both.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Screening programs within carceral settings have proven effective in identifying individuals with STIs. However, with policy changes diverting more young people away from incarceration and into community-based programs, innovative programs are needed to identify STIs among youth in these settings. Our findings indicate that it is feasible to conduct venue-based screening in these settings, and, doing so may identify youth in need of treatment and further evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11409596/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142297508","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jodie M Dewey, Patrick Hibbard, Dennis P Watson, Juleigh Nowinski Konchak, Keiki Hinami
{"title":"A qualitative investigation into the effectiveness of a housing navigator program linking justice-involved clients with recovery housing.","authors":"Jodie M Dewey, Patrick Hibbard, Dennis P Watson, Juleigh Nowinski Konchak, Keiki Hinami","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00293-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-024-00293-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Roughly 24-36% of people who are incarcerated in the U.S. are formally diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD). Once released, individuals involved with the criminal legal system (CLS) face increased risks of return to use and fatality and are 129 times more likely to die from an overdose within the first two weeks of release compared to those without CLS involvement. People who are CLS-involved and who are seeking a recovery living environment can access temporary stable housing through recovery homes. However, entering a recovery home can be difficult due to fragmentation among recovery housing organizations and their non-uniform application and screening procedures. A navigation pilot program was implemented to provide clients with recovery home placement advice, pre-screening, and referrals in Cook County, IL. Existing research on recovery homes has rarely examined the importance of recovery housing navigation for enhancing service engagement among CLS-involved individuals receiving medications for OUD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 clients and three recovery housing navigators as part of a program evaluation of the navigation program pilot. Qualitative software was used to organize and qualitatively analyze transcripts through several rounds of coding producing emergent themes, which were then triangulated, and expanded using navigator data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Clients seeking recovery home services reported multiple prior challenges securing safe and supportive recovery living environments. Despite low initial expectations, clients described their interactions with housing navigators in favorable terms and felt navigators worked with them effectively to identify and meet their housing and substance use needs in a timely manner. Clients also commented on their partnerships with the navigator throughout the process. Interactions with navigators also calmed fears of rejection many clients had previously experienced and still harbored about the process, which bolstered client-navigator relationships and client motivation to engage with additional services.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Evidence from this study suggests recovery home navigation can improve the speed and efficiency with which clients are connected to appropriate services that are tailored to their specific needs as well as increase client motivation to engage with a myriad of recovery services.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11401402/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142297507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Milan F Satcher, Steven Belenko, Anthony Coetzer-Liversage, Khirsten J Wilson, Michael R McCart, Tess K Drazdowski, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Nickolas Zaller, Alysse M Schultheis, Aaron Hogue, Noel Vest, Ashli J Sheidow, Brandon Del Pozo, Dennis P Watson, Patrick F Hibbard, Randy Stevens, L A R Stein
{"title":"Linkage facilitation for opioid use disorder in criminal legal system contexts: a primer for researchers, clinicians, and legal practitioners.","authors":"Milan F Satcher, Steven Belenko, Anthony Coetzer-Liversage, Khirsten J Wilson, Michael R McCart, Tess K Drazdowski, Amanda Fallin-Bennett, Nickolas Zaller, Alysse M Schultheis, Aaron Hogue, Noel Vest, Ashli J Sheidow, Brandon Del Pozo, Dennis P Watson, Patrick F Hibbard, Randy Stevens, L A R Stein","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00291-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00291-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11363440/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142113027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kaitlin N Piper, Alexandra Jahn, Cam Escoffery, Briana Woods-Jaeger, David P Schwartz, Cathy Smith-Curry, Jessica Sales
{"title":"Contextual determinants of family-driven care implementation in juvenile justice settings.","authors":"Kaitlin N Piper, Alexandra Jahn, Cam Escoffery, Briana Woods-Jaeger, David P Schwartz, Cathy Smith-Curry, Jessica Sales","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00290-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00290-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Engaging families in behavioral health services is a high priority for juvenile justice (JJ) systems and family advocacy groups. Family-driven care (FDC) enhances family engagement and decision-making power in youth behavioral health services, ultimately, improving youth and family mental health and substance abuse outcomes. Despite the benefits, there is limited guidance on how to integrate FDC into behavioral health care within the JJ system. Therefore, the goal of this study is to understand factors that promoted adoption of FDC the JJ context.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>JJ staff and leadership across the state of Georgia participated in surveys and interviews to understand contextual implementation determinants related to the adoption of FDC. Between November 2021- July 2022, 140 JJ staff participated in the survey from 61 unique JJ organizations. In addition, 16 staff participated in follow-up key informant interviews to explain quantitative findings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Based on a mixed methods analysis, JJ agencies were more likely to implement FDC if they had the following characteristics: (1) presence of site leaders that were strongly committed to family engagement, (2) a shared understanding that family engagement was a top priority, (3) staff training related to family engagement, (4) external partnerships with organizations that serve families, (5) a workplace culture that was supportive of innovation, and (6) presence of family engagement programs that were easier (or more feasible) for staff to implement.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This mixed methods study underscores the importance of strengthening these 6 inner and outer setting implementation determinants when preparing to integrate FDC into JJ systems. Findings are used to promote the adoption and delivery of this high priority intervention in a state-level JJ system.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11311941/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141907904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Victoria D Ojeda, Arthur Groneman, Sarah Hiller-Venegas, Melissa Moreno, Briana Schuler, Jerrica Barksdale, Emily Berliant, Natalie Romero, Todd M Edwards, Zephon Lister, Todd Gilmer, Tommi Gaines, Angela Bazzi
{"title":"A randomized clinical trial testing a health literacy intervention to reduce disparities in access to care among Justice-Impacted Adults (JIA).","authors":"Victoria D Ojeda, Arthur Groneman, Sarah Hiller-Venegas, Melissa Moreno, Briana Schuler, Jerrica Barksdale, Emily Berliant, Natalie Romero, Todd M Edwards, Zephon Lister, Todd Gilmer, Tommi Gaines, Angela Bazzi","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00284-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00284-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Low health literacy is costly and observed among justice-impacted adults (JIA), a group that often faces numerous barriers in accessing healthcare and a disproportionate burden of illness. Health literacy interventions for JIA are critically needed to improve healthcare access and related outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This manuscript describes the protocol for a longitudinal mixed-methods randomized clinical trial that assesses the effectiveness of a coach-guided health literacy intervention on JIA's healthcare access. The intervention was previously piloted with justice impacted adults. We will recruit 300 JIA ages 18 + in San Diego, California. Participants will be randomized 1:1 to the Treatment Group (i.e., coach-guided intervention providing 12 sessions of individualized health coaching and service navigation over 6 months) or the Control Group (i.e., self-study of the health coaching program, and brief service navigation support). We will quantitatively assess JIA's healthcare access defined as: use of healthcare, health insurance status, and regular source of care at 6-months as the primary outcomes. Participants will also be surveyed at 12-months. Statistical analyses will incorporate the intent-to-treat (ITT) principle and we will estimate mixed-effects logistic regression for the primary outcomes. We will also conduct qualitative interviews at 6 and 12-months with 40 purposively sampled participants, stratified by study arm, who reported healthcare access barriers at baseline. Interviews will explore participants' satisfaction with the intervention, healthcare attitudes, self-efficacy for and barriers to healthcare access over time, perceived contribution of the intervention to health and well-being, and diffusion of intervention-related information within participants' social networks. We will conduct deductive thematic analyses of qualitative data.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Low health literacy among JIA is a foundational challenge requiring tailored intervention strategies. Findings from this trial may inform policies and the structure of service delivery models to build health literacy among JIA in institutional and community settings throughout the United States and elsewhere.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>This study is registered with the United States' ClinicalTrials.gov registry under protocol # 161,903.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11290280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141856653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Corey McBrayer, Annie Turner, Mackenzie Whitener, Zachary W Adams, Leslie Hulvershorn, Tamika C B Zapolski, Matthew C Aalsma
{"title":"\"Just as expensive as sending him to college:\" barriers and perceptions of treatment in justice-involved youth.","authors":"Corey McBrayer, Annie Turner, Mackenzie Whitener, Zachary W Adams, Leslie Hulvershorn, Tamika C B Zapolski, Matthew C Aalsma","doi":"10.1186/s40352-024-00289-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40352-024-00289-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Justice-involved youth have higher rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) than the general population. Many do not connect with or complete treatment, leading to recidivism. This qualitative study explores perceptions and barriers to treatment in this population.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Justice-involved youth participating in a larger study focused on access to SUD treatment were interviewed about available treatment and justice system involvement. Twenty-one dyads (youth and a guardian) and 3 individual guardians (total N = 45) were interviewed by phone. Inclusion criteria were youth aged 14-17 involved in the justice system that screened positive for SUD. Youth sample was 43% male. Thematic analysis guided the process. The study was Indiana University Institutional Review Board approved (#1802346939). Data was interpreted within the ecological system theory. Youth barriers included willingness to engage in treatment, time constraints/scheduling conflicts, and low perceived usefulness of treatment. Major guardian themes included high cost of treatment, lack of communication by the justice system about treatment, youth unwillingness or disinterest to engage in treatment, and limited program availability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The barriers to treatment for justice-involved youth are multifaceted and occur across the spectrum of levels of the ecological system, which include parents, peers, social systems, and cultural elements. Many youth and guardians suggested improvements for their interactions with the juvenile justice system. Further examination is needed of current policy implementation to address these concerns.</p>","PeriodicalId":37843,"journal":{"name":"Health and Justice","volume":"12 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11265333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141749184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}