The Value of Implementation Science in Health Services in Criminal Legal Settings

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In a recent article published in Health & Justice (2025), Drs. Faye S. Taxman and Steven Belenko explore the role of implementation science (IS) as a vital strategy in enhancing health outcomes for individuals in the criminal legal systems. IS is a framework of subframes, theories, measures, and interventions that elucidate effective organizational change processes and the contextual factors that influence how these innovations operate in real-world settings. 

Rather than narrowly focusing on understanding the nature of a single program or client outcomes, Taxman and Belenko urge using a “wide-angle lens” that acknowledges the full complexity of the systems, structures, and environments that shape how health services are delivered in justice settings. This image encompasses inner and outer contextual factors—such as leadership buy-in, interagency collaboration, staff attitudes, funding or resources, infrastructure, and local context and/or laws, as a few examples—that can influence the successful implementation and sustainment of an innovation. The article offers a critical look at how existing IS frameworks—such as the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) model or CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research)—can be used to better understand adaptations or alignment in criminal justice settings.

To illustrate the power of IS in action, the authors present six studies where IS was utilized to understand the implementation of new innovations aimed at improving the health and well-being of individuals in the criminal legal system, particularly supervision or jail. These case studies shed light on how IS can help identify the effectiveness of specific change processes and/or address contextual factors that affect the success of implementation of innovations in these settings. The case studies also reveal how IS can identify the factors that support or hinder implementation success across justice-health “intercepts”—the key points where individuals interact with both systems, from arrest to reentry.

In summary, the article highlights the importance of IS in effectively integrating evidence-based practices within criminal legal settings to improve health outcomes. These case studies illustrate the complex interplay of organizational and contextual factors in this process. This comprehensive framework can help identify the steps and skills needed to assess barriers and facilitators, tailor implementation strategies, monitor and evaluate efforts, and sustain and scale change. This article is part of a special series commemorating the 10th anniversary of Health & Justice. 

This summary is based on the following article:

Taxman, F. S., & Belenko, S. (2025). The wide-angle lens of implementation science to improve health outcomes in criminal legal settings. Health & Justice, 13(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40352-025-00323-x