MAPS Publishes First-of-Its-Kind Literature Review on Psychedelic Healing for People Impacted by the Criminal Legal System

• “Relocating the Root” is a scoping literature review on the mental health needs of people directly impacted by the criminal legal system
• Publishing this literature review launches a project that builds on nearly four decades of MAPS advocacy by turning the lens of psychedelic research toward people directly harmed by the war on drugs
• MAPS is raising funds to conduct a first-of-its-kind project that will research and assess the self-identified care needs of formerly-incarcerated people as a foundation for future psychedelic-assisted therapy, in partnership with the Center for Collective Healing
  

WASHINGTON, June 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) today announced its Psychedelics for System-Impacted People (PSIP) project, a research, education, and policy effort designed to explore the responsible application of psychedelic care to people directly impacted by the criminal legal system.

MAPS launched PSIP in light of its commitment to healing for all. PSIP started with “Relocating the Root,” a first-of-its-kind literature review exploring the mental health needs of system-impacted people, and the promise and challenges of psychedelic-assisted care for this population. It synthesizes current research on the mental health needs of system-impacted people, analyzes the promise and obstacles of psychedelic-assisted care for this population, and issues a clear call: effective care must be co-created with and led by those most harmed by mass incarceration.

The review covers key dimensions of system-impacted people’s mental health, including the prevalence and compounding effects of adverse childhood experiences, PTSD, substance use disorders, depression, and suicidality; the mental health consequences of incarceration itself; the disproportionate impact on communities of color; the barriers to care during reentry; and the legal and ethical considerations unique to providing psychedelic-assisted therapy to people under or formerly under state supervision. The review also critically examines how existing diagnostic frameworks — including the DSM-5 — were not designed with communities of color or system-impacted populations in mind, and may inadvertently pathologize the natural psychological responses to structural violence and systemic racism.

“Efforts to change psychedelic drug policy are happening in the shadow of the War on Drugs. System-impacted people, especially those of color, have largely been left out of this conversation despite their high prevalence of trauma, substance use disorders, and other complex mental health needs. That has to change. We are asking what safety, dignity, and healing look like from the perspective of those most harmed by the criminal legal system, and allowing those answers to shape research, policy, and practice from the start.”
—Sia Henry, J.D., MAPS Associate Director of Policy

The project is led in part by Henry, a racial justice advocate and attorney with over a decade of experience in criminal legal system reform, restorative justice, abolition, and conditions of confinement work. Henry joined MAPS in 2022, focusing on ensuring that Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color have meaningful access to transformative healing experiences.

The second phase of PSIP is a qualitative research study, which will be conducted in partnership with the Center For Collective Healing (CCH). MAPS and the CCH are raising funds to help establish a framework for competent, culturally responsive care delivery and explore how psychedelic-assisted healing might support restorative, diversionary, and treatment-based approaches to interrupting cycles of trauma. Existing research on psychedelic-assisted care has not adequately studied system-impacted people, and many clinical trials have excluded participants with the kinds of comorbid mental health conditions, substance use histories, and socioeconomic instability many formerly-incarcerated people face. The initiative with the CCH is designed to help close that gap through community-engaged research before any future interventional study is considered.

The qualitative study will involve paid focus groups with formerly-incarcerated people of color to explore their mental health needs, psychedelic-related questions and concerns, and what conditions would need to be in place for participation in psychedelic-assisted healing to feel safe and meaningful. Focus groups will be co-facilitated by a CCH researcher and a formerly-incarcerated consultant to ensure participants have a supportive, confidential space for honest dialogue.

“Community-grounded research begins by listening. This collaboration is intended to create a process where formerly-incarcerated people can name what they need, what concerns they have, and what safeguards would be necessary before psychedelic-assisted healing is even considered. If the movement wants to translate promise into practice, it will have to figure out how to bring everyone along, or risk becoming a shadow of the commitment to human potential that birthed it.”
—AZA Allsop, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Collective Healing

PSIP will also examine legal barriers that may prevent system-impacted people from safely accessing psychedelic-assisted care, including parole, probation, supervised release, drug testing, employment restrictions, and the risk that participation in otherwise lawful or regulated programs could still create consequences for people living under state surveillance.

“Four decades after MAPS was founded to challenge the harms of prohibition, we are still confronting the same uncomfortable truth: legal access is not the same as equitable access. As psychedelic reform continues to progress, the field has a responsibility to confront the history of criminalization that shaped today’s policy landscape. This initiative is our way to demonstrate accountability and champion community leadership to ensure that the people most impacted by drug criminalization are shaping the next chapter. Building a post-prohibition future rooted in health, consent, dignity, and repair is the work still in front of us.”
—Ismail L. Ali, J.D., MAPS Co-Executive Director

These initiatives reflect MAPS’ broader commitment to ensuring there are carefully designed models for delivering care in ways that meet the unique needs of specific populations, especially those highly impacted by trauma, drug prohibition, and systemic neglect.

ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful use of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS previously sponsored the most advanced psychedelic-assisted therapy research in the world and continues to support psychedelic and marijuana research with a focus on the people and places most impacted by trauma. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics, a drug-development public benefit company, and The Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $150 million to advance psychedelic research, change drug policy, and shape culture.

ABOUT CENTER FOR COLLECTIVE HEALING
The CCH is a decentralized research institute between Yale and Howard University focused on studying communal approaches to health. The Center focuses on four areas of research: (1) social bias and racial stress, (2) couples work and family therapy, (3) climate and nature relatedness, and (4) coordination and problem solving. Director of the CCH, AZA Allsop, is an artist, neuroscientist, and psychiatrist who conducts research at the intersection of social cognition, music mindfulness, and psychedelics. His research and clinical work is guided by the belief that decoding these tools will provide a better understanding of how social groups function and offer insights into treating mental suffering and enhancing the evolution of society at large.

Media Contact:
media@maps.org

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