Yale University and Just Leadership USA Updates and Community Engagement Efforts

Focus Groups:

The first focus group was held on December 12, 2024, in New Haven, Connecticut, with a total of 12 participants. This group included six individuals with prior incarceration experience and six individuals who were either family members or romantic partners of formerly incarcerated individuals. Qualitative data analysis is currently underway, which includes a follow-up expert convening to discuss key themes and findings emerging from the transcript.

The second focus group was conducted on April 8, 2025, in Durham, North Carolina, and included 14 participants. A third session is scheduled for May 21, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, with 10 participants recruited to date. As with the previous groups, participants include individuals with prior incarceration experience and their family members or romantic partners.

These focus groups have yielded valuable insights to support the development of ethical and effective strategies for engaging formerly incarcerated individuals and their families in cardiovascular health research, especially in areas such as consent and data sharing. Findings from these sessions will inform the implementation of Aim 2 of the project, which centers on community-engaged research practices with this population.

Ronald Simpson-Bay (left) from JustLeadershipUSA and Dr. Jenerius Aminawung (right) from Yale meeting for the first time in preparation for the first focus group held in New Haven, CT at the SECIHE Center.

Ronald Simpson-Bey from JLUSA is getting work done at the SEICHE Center for Health and Justice at Yale School of Medicine in preparation for the first focus group.

Dr. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein

JustLeadershipUSA has entered into a consulting agreement with Dr. Lauren Brinkley-Rubinstein of Duke University, who is serving as a scientific advisor for the FAMJustice and INJustice projects. A national expert on the intersection of the criminal legal system and public health, Dr. Brinkley-Rubinstein played a central role in recruiting for and hosting the April focus group in Durham. She is also supporting JLUSA in developing a project advisory panel and assisting with the hiring of new project staff and fellows.

Focus Group Conduct

Yale has collaborated closely with JLUSA to ensure effective planning and implementation of the focus groups. Coordination included consistent communication via email and biweekly meetings. Yale developed a manual of procedures to guide recruitment, screening, focus group facilitation, and data analysis. Collaborative efforts led to the creation of a screening worksheet, customized recruitment flyer, adapted screener script, and debriefing questions for facilitators. Additionally, a community health worker from the Transitions Clinic Network assisted with recruitment efforts for the second focus group.

Jenerius Aminawung, Victoria Hummel, Lisa Puglisi (on monitor), and Kim Vasquez at an internal meeting discussing insights from the second focus group held in North Carolina in preparation for the rapid qualitative analysis of the data.

Kim Vasquez, Jenerius Aminawung, and Victoria Hummel at the internal meeting discussing the second focus group.

Regulatory

The project received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for the inclusion of additional JLUSA team members, as well as for the recruitment flyer and participant screener.

Training Program Updates

In March 2025, the JLUSA-Yale training team convened a curriculum development discussion with current students and trainees at Yale, including individuals directly impacted by incarceration and JLUSA training program alumni. The session focused on refining draft content for a forthcoming training program tailored to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations. Key themes included participatory learning, trauma-informed approaches, relevance to lived experience, emotional support for researchers, and inclusive content development.

The team continues preparations for the August launch of the JUSTResearch Multidisciplinary Training Program and is evaluating the potential integration of HERN training curricula. In collaboration with Furman University, the team provided guidance on trainee recruitment in South Carolina and discussed opportunities for cross-Hub training development. A joint curriculum meeting with all three Hubs is scheduled for April 24, 2025, with an in-person follow-up planned during the San Antonio gathering on May 22–23, 2025.