Research

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  April 2022

  County Jails' Responses to COVID-19: Practices, Procedures, and Provisions of Behavioral Health Services

  This exploratory, mixed-methods study describes 20 county jails' responses to the pandemic across Michigan and presents a case study of one rural jail to examine changes in booking trends and behavioral health needs and services. Qualitatively, jails decreased their population at the outset of the pandemic via early releases, reconsideration of bond, and reductions in arrests. Quantitatively, the greatest prevalence of serious mental illness was found during the spring (initial shutdown period), which had the lowest weekly booking rates. Bookings occurring during the spring were significantly related to felony charges and drug/alcohol charges while individuals were less frequently booked because of violations. Past year recidivism significantly decreased from the winter to summer phase. Policy should mandate that jails screen for behavioral health problems and provide access to behavioral health services, while also expanding diversion opportunities during and after a pandemic. Innovations in continuity of care are critical for both behavioral and public health needs given the high risk for suicide, overdose, and viral spread after release from jail.

  Diversion

  Publication
• 
  March 2022

  Cross-systems data integration in Michigan counties

  Data integration brings together information from multiple sources to enhance collective knowledge among community partners, increase data-driven decision-making and foster continued collaboration across community systems. By building a sustainable data system and technical infrastructure, stakeholders can routinely track and report on outcomes of interest including prevalence of persons with behavioral health concerns in the jail, length of jail stay, connections to mental health and substance abuse treatment, and recidivism.

  Diversion

  Policy brief
• 
  March 2022

  Medications for opioid use disorder in county jails: Support and resources for Sheriff's Offices considering implementation

  Evidence suggests that medications for opioid use disorder and corresponding psychosocial services are the gold standard of treatment for opioid use disorder and are highly effective at reducing overdose risk and recidivism and promoting long-term and sustainable recovery. County jails serve as a pivotal touchpoint where behavioral health partners can intervene with people who have an OUD by providing access to these medications and services. This resource sheet is intended for local sheriff's offices that want to learn more about best practices for the treatment of OUD and are seeking guidance on how to implement these services in their county jail.

  Treatment ecosystems

  Resource
• 
  March 2022

  Data Integration in Michigan Counties Lunch and Learn

  One component of the technical assistance the CBHJ provides focuses on the utilization of cross-systems community data to track progress on an on-going basis - a process referred to as data integration. County data integration systems bring together information from multiple sources, including community behavioral health and criminal legal, to generate regular reports that provide stakeholders with updates on key measures that define progress such as prevalence of mental illness in jails.

  Diversion

  Video
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  March 2022

  Supportive Courts: Integrating and Destigmatizing Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

  Medication assisted treatment has been a polarizing effort that, despite its proven efficacy, has caused concern amongst drug courts and jail systems alike. As criminal justice leaders, it is imperative to use evidence-based practices that have reliable results in a rehabilitative setting, which can be mutually beneficial to the courts as and individuals. This training provides information on how treatment courts can support local opioid use disorder treatment efforts, address stigma surrounding medication assisted treatment, provide evidence of treatment effectiveness for justice-involved populations, and encourage coordination with community and jail-based treatment programs to improve clinical and legal outcomes. Speakers included the Honorable Shannon A. Holmes and Probation Director Wright N. Wade from the 36th District Court in Detroit, Michigan.

  Treatment ecosystems

  Video
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  February 2022

  Perception of Resource Allocations to Address the Opioid Epidemic

  Despite billions of dollars spent on opioid policy initiatives, public knowledge of evidence-based policies to reduce opioid-related morbidity remain low. Consequences of this knowledge gap for support of initiatives remains understudied. Our objective was to evaluate how participants with and without lived experience allocate funding for initiatives to address the opioid epidemic. A secondary objective was to collect proof-of-concept data of an informational intervention designed to improve support for evidence-based policies.

  Harm reduction

  Publication
• 
  February 2022

  Administrative jail release during COVID-19

  Since 1991, administrative jail release (AJR) has been regularly utilized to address jail overcrowding by accelerating the release process for some individuals in the Wayne County Jail. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, criteria for AJR was expanded in order to decrease transmission in the jail facilities and to prioritize individuals with serious medical conditions that would be more vulnerable to contracting the virus. A committee of stakeholders including judges, prosecutors, attorneys representing detainees at large1, and jail medical staff was formed at the start of pandemic to review releases.

  Wayne County jail/mental health initiative

  Policy brief
• 
  February 2022

  Evaluation of Administrative Jail Release Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  As COVID-19 ripped through the country in March 2020, the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the Detroit Police Department were some of the first local organizations to experience devastating contagion and loss from the virus. Recognizing that Wayne County Jails had the potential to become a COVID-19 superspreading site, Chief Judge Timothy Kenny of the Third Circuit Court took extraordinary measures to protect the health and safety of Wayne County Jail inmates and staff.

  Wayne County jail/mental health initiative

  Report
• 
  February 2022

  Jail and overdose: assessing the community impact of incarceration on overdose

  This study examined the overall impact of jail incarceration on overdose, the specific hazard for those booked on a syringe-related charge and the proportion of all overdose decedents in the community who were in the jail prior to death. A cohort study of fatal overdose outcomes among a sample of individuals booked into and released from jail between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2019 in Marion County, Indiana. Of all overdose deaths in the county, 21% had been in the county jail within 2 years prior to their death. Each prior booking increased the hazard of mortality by approximately 20%, while the presence of a syringe charge at most recent booking prior to release more than tripled the hazard of mortality.

  Harm reduction

  Publication
• 
  February 2022

  Developing a cascade of care for opioid use disorder among individuals in jail

  The overdose epidemic persists as a public health crisis in the United States. Jails are a critical overdose prevention touchpoint. Administrative data including screening, booking, and medication information were used to develop a cascade-of-care. Screening rates varied dramatically by facility, with integration into the jail records management system showing the best outcomes. The prevalence of OUD identified from the RODS was 8.1% and did not vary significantly by facility. Nearly one third (31.3%) of those identified as having an OUD were dispensed medications, with two-thirds receiving methadone and the remaining third buprenorphine. The average length of stay for all screened individuals was two weeks, compared to two months for those who received an MOUD.

  Treatment ecosystems

  Publication