Steely Smith, Mollee Institution-verified

OverviewAI-generated summary

Mollee Steely Smith, Ph.D., focuses on qualitative research examining the intersections of health, incarceration, and involvement in the criminal-legal system. Her work specifically addresses specialty populations, including aging individuals, those who are terminally ill, pregnant and postpartum persons, and individuals who use substances.

Dr. Steely Smith also investigates the implementation of treatment services and programs for justice-involved individuals within criminal-legal settings and in community-based contexts. Her recent research highlights the critical need for accessible, quality behavioral health services for incarcerated individuals, particularly pregnant and postpartum persons, who are at risk of ongoing justice system involvement.

Research Overview

Mollee Steely Smith, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Health and Legal System (HEALS) Lab in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Dr. Steely Smith is a criminologist who specializes in qualitative research focused on the intersections of health, incarceration, and broader criminal-legal system involvement among specialty populations, particularly the aging and terminally ill, pregnant and postpartum persons, and persons who use substances. She also studies the implementation of treatment services and programs for justice-involved persons in criminal-legal settings and in the community. Dr. Steely Smith’s most recent work highlights the urgent need for quality behavioral health services for those who are incarcerated and at-risk of continued justice-involvement, especially for people who are pregnant and postpartum. Dr. Steely Smith received her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She completed a NIDA-funded T32 postdoctoral fellowship with the UAMS Translational Training in Addiction Program.