title: Understanding the sustainability of implementing HIV services in criminal justice settings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the growing field of implementation science, sustainability is a critical component of the implementation process of moving evidence-based treatments to regular practice. This paper is intended to extend our understanding of factors that influence the sustainability of HIV services in correctional settings following an organization-level intervention designed to implement improvements in preventing, detecting, or treating HIV for persons under correctional supervision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using semi-structured interviews to elicit perceptions from the principal researcher and executive sponsor at each of nine participating sites, this study explores the variations in the sustainability of HIV services in these criminal justice settings following the experimental implementation intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In six of the nine sites, changes in HIV services implemented as a result of the organizational intervention were sustained six to nine months following the end of project implementation. Organizational endorsement at multiple levels is likely the principal factor that facilitates sustainability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors that result in the sustainability of changes to health services in correctional organizations include elements internal and external to the organization. Implementation strategies, such as the change team model strategy used in this study, are also sustainable and can be used to identify other changes that could be made, or improve other aspects of service delivery.
authors.affiliation: Center for Drug & Health Studies, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.
authors.forename: Christy A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Visher
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, USA.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Friends Research Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut, Storrs, USA.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research (CHOIR), Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VA Medical Center, Bedford, USA.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Swan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Research, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pankow
keywords: Change team; Correctional facility; HIV services; Implementation; Sustainability