Co-producing evidence-informed criminal legal re-entry policy with the community: an application of policy codesign

Abstract

Background: Not attending to local political climate negatively impacts the implementation and sustainability of evidence-informed models of health service. Policy codesign aims to align policy, systems, and community from the ‘ground up’, with structured information gathering, synthesis and creative design methods that incorporate relevant scientific evidence.<br/>Aims and objectives: This paper provides an example of policy codesign to develop a jail-based re-entry programme for adults with opioid use disorder in a rural county in the US.<br/>Methods: The design process adapted Theory U, a systems planning framework to include a rapid evidence review. The process included five sessions from July-September 2020. Mixed methods were used to collect data from the design team (n=5), community at large (n=10), and potential consumers (n=14). Qualitative and descriptive analyses assessed satisfaction with the design process, and the acceptability and perceived feasibility of programme implementation.<br/>Findings: Satisfaction with the design process was high among design team members. Acceptability and perceived feasibility of the designed programme were ‘very high’ across all respondents. The community implemented the designed programme, which aligned with the extant evidence base, although design team members did not explicitly acknowledge research as a source of design. This suggests that the process achieved creative control, and qualitative findings support the teams’ sense of shared ownership.<br/>Discussion and conclusions: Policy codesign is a promising strategy for integrating the evidence base with community creativity in policy and systems-level planning. Further research is needed to understand which elements optimised design members’ absorption of the evidence base, shared sense making, and creative control.<br/><br/>Key messages<br/>Policy codesign aims to align policy, systems, and community from the ‘ground up’.<br/>Policy codesign was used to develop a jail-based programme for people with substance use disorder.<br/>The designed jail-based re-entry programme was rated as highly acceptable and feasible.<br/>The programme was consistent with evidence-based approaches and was successfully implemented.

Exploring the value and role of creative practices in research co-production

“…This paper's themes are then backed up and expanded upon in the next research paper (Micsinszki et al, 2022) and a practice paper (Webber et al, 2022). This is followed by three research papers (Potts et al, 2022;Adelle et al, 2022;Owens et al, 2022) that illustrate a diversity of contexts, topics of application and approaches or creative methods used in co-production case studies.…”

“…Other examples included extending the co-design frame to encompass a long-term, structural component for partnerships working, knowledge mobilisation and system change (Micsinszki et al, 2021). An alternative co-design framing used Theory-U (Owens et al, 2022), and more generally using collaborative reflective practices (Spaa et al, 2022).…”

“…This allows them and others to interact with this data, to see connections and dynamic features, and gives them agency to change it. Through the design process, understanding of the complex problem iteratively evolved alongside prototype development (for example, Webber et al, 2022 andOwens et al, 2022).…”

“…Groth et al (2020) stress the importance of being open to multiple perspectives. Several of the articles in this issue (Adelle et al, 2022;Owens et al, 2022;Becket et al, 2022) show how creative practices aid exploration of different perspectives and help build empathy for others' experience. They generate end products which are effective at expressing and sharing alternative realities and helping diverse contributors co-create new ones.…”

“…Creative practices in co-production support people to explore solutions in multiple ways, rapidly representing variations on a theme. This provides the basis of interventions that are built on a common core, with adaptable elements, hence supporting wider adoption of interventions (Webber et al, 2022;Owens et al, 2022).…”