Many people who become involved in the criminal legal system experience behavioral health and social service-related needs that remain unmet throughout their system involvement. These unmet needs can result in people cycling through the system, which takes a toll on their well-being and places an unnecessary burden on the system. Many people also need assistance navigating the legal process itself; some only need minimal aid while others require more substantial support. Court navigator programs represent one strategy to address these unmet needs and provide support to people involved in the criminal legal system.

From 2022–2023, Policy Research Associates (PRA) researchers completed a national scan of court navigator programs and found 18 programs located across 21 different states. These programs vary in reach, structure, scope, daily operations, and exact services provided. Following the national scan, PRA researchers conducted site visits and interviews with five programs to gain a greater understanding of the structure and operations of each program and to learn about the programs via the opinions and experiences of the navigators, the people who work with navigators, and the people who have received services from the navigators.

This guide summarizes the findings of these site visits and interviews. An overview of PRA's methodology is provided, the purpose and organization of the guide are identified, the five court navigator programs are described, and key takeaways are offered for other jurisdictions that may be interested in implementing court navigator programs.