Those with opioid use disorder (OUD) discharged from criminal justice facilities are at increased risk for overdose and death. The University of Chicago's Justice Community Opioid Intervention Network (JCOIN) Research Center is conducting a multi-site project called ROMI (Reducing Opioid Mortality in Illinois) to study the effectiveness of case management to link justice-involved individuals with community-based treatment for OUD. ROMI uses peer recovery coaches and case managers to connect participants to treatment using medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). They also provide links to supportive services, naloxone distribution, and harm reduction resources.

The project uses a hub-and-spoke model at the University of Illinois at Chicago to coordinate the delivery of OUD treatment and harm reduction services to four jails and two prisons in Illinois. The goal is to examine the effectiveness of case management approaches combined with peer recovery coaches to improve retention in MOUD treatment and its outcomes. A 2021 paper describing the project protocol is here, and a 2024 follow-up process evaluation interviewed participants to assess the program's implementation and operations. An outcomes evaluation is planned and contact for further information is available at the Chicago Research Center's ROMI project page.