Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN)

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Led by the NIH HEAL Initiative and administered through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) is a groundbreaking initiative devoted to study and disseminate evidence-informed approaches for justice settings. JCOIN is designed to ensure quality care for individuals in justice settings who have opioid use disorder (OUD).

JCOIN brings together a national network of investigators from more than 13 research organizations collaborating with justice and behavioral health partners. Studies and dissemination efforts are designed to advance scientific knowledge on effective policies, practices, and interventions, and expand the use of this science into daily practice in justice-health settings. At this point, over 20,000 individuals will be impacted by a JCOIN study or protocol.

Research grants were awarded to 11 clinical research institutions (“Research Hubs”) across the country to study approaches to improve care for justice-involved individuals with OUD and two centers of excellence that provide supportive infrastructure: the Coordination and Translation Center and the Methodology and Advanced Analytic Resource Center.

The Vision of JCOIN

Every justice-involved individual with a substance use disorder should have timely access to evidence-based practices and treatment(s), whether the individual is detained or residing in the community.

Priority Goals

Generate new evidence about what works and how to effectively implement these practices
Serve as a go-to resource for researchers and practitioners
Develop a network of researchers and practitioners collaborating across justice and community-based service settings
Build capacity to conduct research in justice settings
Speed science-to-practice translation and feedback loops

Current Studies

Each Research Hub is working with justice and health stakeholders within five or more communities to evaluate implementation and delivery efforts of OUD treatment and related services in a wide range of criminal justice settings across 16 states and Puerto Rico.

Funded Research Hubs:

Baystate Medical Center
Brown University
Chestnut Health Systems
University of Chicago
Columbia University
Friends Research Institute
Indiana University
University of Kentucky
New York University
Texas Christian University
Yale University

Coordination and Translation Center

George Mason University

Methodology and Advanced Analytic Resource Center

University of Chicago

The JCOIN initiative is part of the National Institute of Health’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term^SM Initiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative^SM, an aggressive, trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to stem the national opioid public health crisis.

To learn more, please visit: https://heal.nih.gov/research/research-to-practice/jcoin