Arizona Criminal Justice Commission

Program Overview and Background

In recent years, Arizona has recognized the importance of providing opportunities for individuals with substance abuse disorders to be connected to services that can help them stay out of the justice system for justice–involved adults re–entering
their communities following incarceration. Although many of these programs have seen success and improved outcomes, a
significant gap exists. While the primary focus of the reentry efforts has been adults, more resources are needed to support
the children and families in these systems. Many of these children have experienced trauma in the household, and if those
traumas are left untreated, there is a higher likelihood that the child will become justice–involved in some capacity as well.

Program Services

The ACJC will provide funding to all of the identified sites to implement this project. The ACJC will also fund the creation of a
coordinator position that assists in identifying youth and facilitating services. This position would function similarly to a mentor for the youth. The ACJC will also conduct a formal evaluation, using the state’s criminal justice Statistical Analysis
Center (SAC), on the hub–and–spoke model with the intention of contributing to the current literature on the efficacy of this
model. This project offers a truly holistic approach to prevention and reentry services by connecting children with justice–involved parents to public safety and public health systems in a positive environment and embedding them in needed services to address their traumas. This project identifies a significant need and will fill a notable gap in the state’s current reentry programs.

Target Population

ACJC’s project aims to identify and engage the children of justice–involved parents using a hub–and–spoke approach to create a web of support through various innovative services and embed them in networks that create positive relationships and resiliency. In order to be eligible for the program, the child has to: 1) have a parent that has been incarcerated for a substance use event specifically opioid involved 2) is already part of the criminal justice system (e.g., involvement with law enforcement, diversion program, probation, or reentry project), or 3) has a parent that has been involved in anopioid or other drug overdose event.

The ACJC has identified four counties to serve as project sites: Yavapai, Graham, Mohave, and Navajo counties. These sites were strategically chosen for a number of reasons. First, many of these counties already have reentry programs established for adults, so expanding the project to include the children of justice–involved adults offers a more holistic approach to prevention and reentry programming. Additionally, many of these counties are rural or tribal communities, in turn, they may not have access to services at the local level. Many have to travel hours to get to the nearest available services. Establishing this type of program in these areas satisfies a significant need for availability and expansion of services in rural and tribal communities.