Research Studies
Ongoing Studies in Arkansas
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Pregnancy and Postpartum Support Programs for Women in Prison: Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes
This is a multi-state study of perinatal support programs for women incarcerated in six geographically diverse prisons (MN, AL, MI, GA, VA, AR). There are three specific aims: (1) Identify facilitators and barriers to implementation of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum support programs for women in prison, (2) Evaluate the pregnancy and birth outcomes of program participants, and (3) Evaluate the birth outcomes of program participants.
Wilson, S. H., Marsh, L. N., Zielinski, M. J., Corbett, A., Siegler, A., & Shlafer, R. (2022). Enhanced perinatal programs for people in prison: A summary of six states’ programs.Journal of Criminal Justice, 83, 101965.
Lead Researcher: Dr. Rebecca Shlafer
Agency: University of Minnesota
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Arkansas Building Capacity for Women’s Justice-Health Research
This award by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) allowed us to start the WJHA! This funding is helping us to increase capacity for academic, justice, and community partners to conduct specific kinds of research that is focused on justice-involved women’s needs. The project will also help us to better understand community members’ research priorities and ways to reduce barriers to justice-involved women’s participation in research.
Lead Researcher: Dr. Melissa Zielinski
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Implementation and Effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy in Community Corrections
This pilot study is looking at if Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), a gold-standard therapy for PTSD, helps people with their mental health and substance use recovery during and after prison. It is also looking at how to best implement CPT in prison. Half of the study participants were women who were enrolled while incarcerated and who did follow-ups with the research team about 3 months after getting out of prison.
Zielinski, M. J., Allison, M. K., Steely Smith, M. K., Curran, G., Kaysen, D., & Kirchner, J. E. (2023). Implementation of Cognitive Processing Therapy in correction centers: Anticipated determinants from formative evaluation.Journal of Traumatic Stress, 36, 193-204.
Zielinski, M. J., Steely Smith, M. K., Kaysen, D., Selig, J. P., Zaller, N. D., Curran, G., & Kirchner, J. E. (2022). A participant-randomized pilot hybrid II trial of group Cognitive Processing Therapy for incarcerated persons with posttraumatic stress and substance use disorder symptoms: Study protocol and rationale.Health & Justice, 10, 30.
Lead Researcher: Dr. Melissa Zielinski
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Past Studies in Arkansas
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Growing Together: A Study of Women Incarcerated in Arkansas While Pregnant
This study had two parts, both of which aimed to increase data on women who were incarcerated in Arkansas while pregnant and programs that can help support them. The first part was a large chart review that examined the medical and criminal justice characteristics and outcomes of women incarcerated while pregnant. The second part was a smaller study that collected new data on the acceptability and feasibility of several kinds of perinatal support services that are currently being offered or that may be offered in the future (e.g., lactation program, support group, individual childbirth support).
Lead Researcher: Dr. Melissa Zielinski
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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GUIDES: A Study of Outcomes of Women Survivors of Sexual Violence who were Previously Incarcerated
In this study, we interviewed and surveyed 63 women 3-5 years after release from incarceration. We assessed the impact of sexual assault group therapy during incarceration on long-term outcomes including mental health and addiction, as well as women’s current health service needs and access.
Behavioral Health, Service Utilization and Barriers to Care: A Study of Formerly Incarcerated Women
Formerly Incarcerated Women’s Experience of Healthcare in Prison
Norris, W. K., Allison, M. K., Fradley, M. F., & Zielinski, M. J. (2022). “You’re setting a lot of people up for failure”: What formerly incarcerated women would tell healthcare decision makers.Health & Justice, 10, 4.
Lead Researcher: Dr. Melissa Zielinski
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Arkansas Crisis Stabilization Study (ARCS)
ARCS enrolled patients who received care in a Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSUs) in Arkansas and met with them for up to 1-year after discharge to understand their health outcomes. CSUs in Arkansas were created with the goal of keeping people experiencing a mental health crisis out of jail. Over 85% of participants were justice-involved and about 42% of participants were women.
Zielinski, M. J., Praseuth, A., Gai, M., Evans, L. J., Zaller, N. D., Umar, I., & Barocas, J. A. (2022). Crisis stabilization units for jail diversion: A preliminary assessment of patient characteristics and outcomes.Psychological Services, 19(4), 630-636.
Barocas, J., Umar, I., Praseuth, A., Evans, L., Zaller, N. D., & Zielinski, M. J. (2022). An economic analysis of the cost of a regional crisis stabilization unit.Journal of Correctional Health Care, 28(1), 54-58.
Lead Researchers: Dr. Melissa Zielinski and Dr. Nick Zaller
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility Mental Health Screening Study
This study assessed the mental health needs of those housed at Pulaski County Regional Detention Facility (PCRDF). We wanted to know what mental health programs could help this population, and used common mental health screeners and open-ended questions to assess prevalence of common behavioral health conditions as well as individuals’ perspectives on the programming that they desired. About one-third of the sample were women.
Emotional and Behavioral Health Among Pulaski County Jail Detainees
Lead Researcher: Dr. Melissa Zielinski
Agency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Other Justice-Health Research Studies in Arkansas
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Coming Soon