How county incarceration affects access to addiction treatment and outcomes
County incarceration and substance use treatment need, availability, use, and outcomes.
Researchers are looking at whether higher county jail and prison rates are linked to less available and used addiction treatment and worse outcomes for people with substance use problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11468749 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project links county jail and prison data with health, treatment, and death records from every U.S. county between 2004 and 2023. The team will compare places with higher versus lower incarceration rates to see differences in overdose deaths, emergency visits, how many treatment programs exist, who enters care, and who completes or stays in treatment. They will use hospital, treatment admission, public health, and survey-derived measures to track patterns over time and across communities. The findings are intended to highlight where incarceration may contribute to gaps in local addiction treatment and where resources are most needed.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with substance use problems living in U.S. counties—especially those who have been arrested, jailed, or otherwise involved with the criminal legal system—are the population this work focuses on.
Not a fit: People outside the United States, those without substance use issues, or individuals who are not represented in county administrative records (for example, some undocumented residents or people who never seek care) may not see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to policies and resource changes that expand access to addiction treatment and reduce incarceration-related barriers to care.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked criminal legal involvement to lower use of addiction treatments like medications for opioid use disorder, but this large, county-level, multi-year national linkage is more comprehensive and relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mauro, Pia M. — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Mauro, Pia M.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.