This Collection invites interdisciplinary research and commentary on the health and wellbeing of individuals with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are involved in the adult or juvenile justice system. People with SEND—including those with neurodevelopmental conditions, learning disabilities, and cognitive impairments—face heightened vulnerability and systemic barriers throughout their justice involvement, from initial contact to incarceration and reintegration.

Aligned with Health & Justice’s mission to promote translational and implementation science, this Collection seeks to advance evidence-based understanding and practical innovations that improve outcomes for SEND populations. We welcome contributions that explore how health systems, justice practices, and policy frameworks can better identify, support, and protect individuals with SEND, and how cross-sector collaboration can drive meaningful change.

This Collection adopts a broad health equity approach, addressing intersecting vulnerabilities such as socioeconomic disadvantage, racial disparities, migration status, LGBTQ+ identities, ethnic minorities, and other underrepresented groups who face compounded barriers across health, education, and justice systems.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

• Epidemiological studies on prevalence and health outcomes of SEND individuals in justice settings

• Translational research on screening, diagnosis, and care pathways for neurodiverse populations

• Implementation science exploring uptake of disability-informed practices in justice and health systems

• Gender-specific health needs and disparities among SEND populations in justice systems

• Cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion in care and justice practices for SEND individuals

• Interventions to improve mental health, physical wellbeing, and rehabilitation outcomes

• Trauma-informed and rights-based approaches to policing, adjudication, and detention

• Health service access and continuity for incarcerated individuals with SEND

• Lived experience research and participatory methodologies

• Comparative policy analysis and international perspectives on SEND in justice systems

• Training and support for justice and health professionals working with SEND populations

• Protocols and clinical guidelines tailored to justice-involved individuals with SEND.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3, Good Health and Well-Being, SDG 10, Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details here). We recognize that many key stakeholders may not have access to such resources and are committed to supporting participation in this issue wherever resources are a barrier. For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief.

People involved in the criminal legal system experience an acute burden of substance use disorders, with increased risk for overdose and co-occurring mental health conditions, other comorbidities, and complex social and structural needs. While justice involvement can provide opportunities to link people with lifesaving care and services, failing to effectively address the challenges of substance use in a timely manner can produce unnecessary harm among people involved in the justice system. Considerable gaps persist in the delivery, coordination, quality, effectiveness, and continuity of evidence-based substance use interventions across justice settings.

The second phase of the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN 2.0), supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), represents a national effort to develop and evaluate interventions to improve early intervention, treatment, and recovery outcomes for justice-impacted populations. JCOIN II emphasizes cross-cutting collaboration, advancing the study of implementation science, and the development of effective, sustainable models of care.

To inform the field about JCOIN 2.0’s efforts, this call invites JCOIN 2.0’s Clinical Research and Innovation Hubs as well as its resource centers (Coordination & Translation Center (CTC), Methodology and Advanced Analytics Resource Center (MAARC), JCOIN’s two Community-Engaged Research Resource Centers (CERRCs), and Economic Research Resource Center (ERRC) to contribute to a special edition of Health & Justice detailing study protocols and the network’s support infrastructure. These manuscripts will serve to educate the public and the scientific community about the work that is being conducted to advance critical health outcomes.

Submissions should clearly describe study aims, conceptual frameworks, intervention components, study design, and analytic plans. When applicable, implementation and dissemination strategies should also be included. Manuscripts describing supporting centers should detail their structure, functions, partnerships, and contributions to advancing JCOIN II’s scientific and translational goals.

This special collection will be designed to align with JCOIN 2.0’s working groups, delineated by the key domains of the Sequential Intercept Model: community and deflection; courts; and jails and prisons. An overview piece written by invited editors will synthesize the state of research in their respective domains. As a result, individual protocol submissions are not expected to include extensive literature reviews, allowing authors to focus on the rationale for their project and its protocol. The National Institute on Drug Abuse will provide an overview piece regarding the importance and significance of JCOIN 2.

All manuscripts will undergo peer review. Investigators funded under JCOIN 1.0 and JCOIN 2.0 will be invited to serve as peer reviewers for this collection and/or recommend qualified reviewers from their professional networks. To ensure editorial independence, manuscripts submitted by Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief.

As an open-access journal, Health & Justice applies an article processing charge (APC). All submissions in this collection undergo the journal’s standard peer review process. Similarly, all manuscripts authored by a Guest Editor(s) will be handled by the Editor-in-Chief. As an open-access publication, this journal levies an article processing fee (details here). For more information about what support may be available, please visit OA funding and support, or email OAfundingpolicy@springernature.com or the Editor-in-Chief.