Project Overview:

JUMP-C is a community-engaged research initiative examining the factors that drive mental health and substance use risk among adults in county jails and on probation in Colorado, centering the voices of people with lived experience and incorporating perspectives from healthcare providers, community organizations, and justice system partners. Through qualitative interviews with individuals recruited from Denver and Arapahoe County jails and probation offices, the study identifies overlapping and distinct contributors to mental health and substance use risk, as well as the structural, environmental, and behavioral challenges that shape well-being during incarceration and community supervision, with the goal of informing future interventions and policy changes that reduce preventable deaths and improve mental health and substance use outcomes. As a complementary component, the project includes a CCTSI-supported Community Advisory Board (CAB) using Photovoice to document community strengths and concerns, deepen understanding of social and structural drivers of risk, and generate community-led insights that guide future research and policy development, creating a sustainable and locally grounded foundation for addressing mental health concerns and substance use risk among people involved in the criminal legal system.