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Impact of COVID-19 Criminal-Legal Practices on HIV Risk among Women Who Use Drugs: A Multi-Methods Qualitative Exploration

Award Number: R15DA056285
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2025

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Impact of COVID-19 Criminal-Legal Practices on HIV Risk among Women Who Use Drugs: A Multi-Methods Qualitative Exploration - Project Summary/Abstract The goal of this R15 Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) study is to build knowledge about the impact of COVID-19 shifts in criminal-legal practices on the HIV risk behaviors of justice-involved women who use drugs (WWUD). WWUD are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Incarceration has been identified as one of the myriad individual and structural factors that elevates the HIV risk of WWUD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of women incarcerated in Connecticut was drastically reduced to avoid prison crowding. This change in criminal-legal practices created an opportunity to build knowledge about the impact of non- incarceration responses to illicit behavior on the HIV risk of WWUD. The specific aims of the study are to (1) Provide undergraduate students at Southern Connecticut State University the opportunity to gain significant experience with community engaged research; (2) Identify the pre-COVID-19 HIV risk behaviors and protective factors of justice-involved WWUD; (3) Document and assess HIV risk during COVID-19 among justice-involved WWUD. Multiple methods will be used in this longitudinal qualitative study. First, qualitative life history interviews will be conducted with 30 formerly incarcerated adult WWUD in New Haven, CT, in order to understand and describe their lived experiences and HIV risk prior to COVID-19. This data will create a baseline understanding about their psychosocial conditions and interactions with criminal-legal systems. Next, the same sample of women will participate in individual calendar-based interviews in order to document their HIV risk and interactions with criminal-legal systems during COVID-19 (March 2020 – March 2022). After these interviews have been conducted, a sub-sample of 10 study participants will participate in an 8-week digital storytelling program. The digital stories produced during this stage of the study will offer additional data about participants’ lives during COVID-19 that will triangulate the calendar data and offer a creative tool for sharing findings with community. Rapid Qualitative Inquiry methods will be used to collect, manage, and analyze data in ways that centers team-based work, insiders’ perspectives, and iterative practices that facilitate rapid understanding and dissemination of findings. All aspects of this study will be developed and conducted by a diverse team of undergraduates in partnership with community consultants who have been personally impacted by incarceration and drug use. Students will meet regularly with the PI and consultants, conduct 12 interviews each, co-facilitate the digital storytelling project, analyze data, author papers, and disseminate findings. A website will be developed to share preliminary findings and final analyses, and the study team will present findings at academic conferences, community forums, and through peer-reviewed journals. By diversifying the research workforce and analyzing the COVID-era experiences of WWUD, this project aligns with NIH’s commitment to social science research that addresses the structural determinants of HIV risk.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2026	2022	SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY	501 CRESCENT ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06515	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	1	2/25/2026	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2022	SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY	501 CRESCENT ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06515	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	1	4/9/2025	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $414,643 )
2022	2022	CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM	501 CRESCENT ST	NEW HAVEN	CT	06515	SOUTH CENTRAL CT	USA	Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs	000	1	4/18/2022	NEW	$414,643
														Subtotal = $414,643

Grand Total All Awards = $414,643

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Impact of COVID-19 Criminal-Legal Practices on HIV Risk among Women Who Use Drugs: A Multi-Methods Qualitative Exploration

Award Number: R15DA056285

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 05/01/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2025

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