A new website was launched to share best practices in the multi-state effort to fight the opioid epidemic.

A new website was launched to share best practices in the multi-state effort to fight the opioid epidemic.

A new year brings a new website for a first-of-its kind regional judicial effort by states to combat the opioid epidemic.

The website highlights the Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative (RJOI)’s background, purpose, information, and statistics needed to address the epidemic.

The courts are experiencing an ever-increasing number of opioid-related cases which span criminal, family, juvenile, and civil dockets.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor convened RJOI three years ago.

The mission was to explore ways that state leaders within a region devastated by opioid abuse could work more effectively and collaboratively across borders and disciplines to confront this problem.

The goal of the initiative is to collaborate and be more responsive and efficient through state courts, children’s services, criminal justice, and treatment systems within Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

“The solutions that are brought to our judges are critically important,” Chief Justice O’Connor said. “The website will be updated continuously to show the many ways that our Ohio team has pursued innovation.”

The National Judicial Opioid Task Force also has published an online resource center. This site provides the nation’s courts a comprehensive collection of best practices, policy recommendations, research, statistics, podcasts, and other information on opioids and the courts.