Press Release
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“Relocating the Root” is a scoping literature review on the mental health needs of people directly impacted by the criminal legal system
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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
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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
