New from ADAI: Policy Codesign Method Effective for Development of Jail-Based Re-Entry Program for Adults with OUD

This new paper, by ADAI Assistant Professor Mandy Owens and colleagues, reports on the use of a policy codesign process to develop a jail-based re-entry program for adults with opioid use disorder (OUD) in a rural county in the U.S.

Researchers hoped that the codesign process, which included folks from the jail, local health department, behavioral health agencies, and people with lived experience, would align policy, systems, and the community from the “ground up,” helping to support a sense of ownership and buy-in that would lead to successful implementation.

The process involved structured information gathering and creative design methods that combined relevant scientific evidence and data collected from the design team, community at large, and potential users of the program.

The project was a success, resulting in a jail-based reentry program for adults with opioid use disorder that was rated as highly acceptable and feasible by all participants. Stakeholders felt more ownership of the co-developed policy because it came from a collaborative process across the community rather than a top-down policy requirement.

This suggests that policy codesign is a promising strategy for integrating the evidence base with community creativity in policy and systems-level planning.

Citation: Owens MD, et al. Co-producing evidence-informed criminal legal re-entry policy with the community: an application of policy codesign. Evidence & Policy 2022 (in press).