Dr Melanie Simpson
Affiliation: Research Associate, Justice Health Research Program, Kirby Institute
Qualifications: B SocSci(Crim) Hons, PhD
Contact details:
Email: m.simpson@unsw.edu.au
Phone: 9385 9251
Biography
Melanie is a Research Officer within the Justice Health Research Program at the Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales (UNSW). Melanie holds a Bachelor of Social Science (Criminology) Honours degree and a PhD, both from the UNSW. Her Honours thesis focused on the role of recreational transitional support in ex-prisoner community integration and inclusion, while her PhD examined various aspects of the relationship between cannabis use and criminal offending among young people.
Melanie has considerable experience in researching vulnerable groups including juvenile offenders, at-risk young people, ex-prisoners and alcohol and other drug users. In her current role at the Kirby Institute, Melanie is working on a number of projects that fall under the recently awarded NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Offender Health. In the past, she has worked at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre and was the previous Co-ordinator of the Indigenous Law Centre.
Selected reports publications
Silins, E., Bleeker, AM., Simpson, M., Dillon, P., and Copeland, J. (2013) Does peer-delivered information at music events reduce ecstasy and methamphetamine use at three month follow-up? Findings from a quasi-experiment across three study sites. Journal of Addiction and Prevention, 1 (3), 8-15.
Willis, K., Simpson, M., & Sweeney, J. (2011) Improving our understanding of Australian cannabis markets, NCPIC & AIC Criminal Justice Bulletin Series 8, Sydney: National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre & Australian Institute of Criminology.
Simpson, M., Howard, J., Rodas, A., & Kalmar, D. (2010) FYRST STOP Youth Cannabis Clinic: Evaluation Using Routinely Collected Data, NCPIC Bulletin No. Sydney, National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, UNSW.
Simpson, M., Lawrinson, P., Copeland, J., & Gates, P. (2009) The Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure (ATOM): A new clinical tool for standardizing outcome measurement for alcohol treatment, Addictive Behaviors, 34, 121-124.
Bleeker, A., Silins, E., Dillon, P., Simpson, M., Copeland, J. & Hickey, K. (2009) The Feasibility of peer-led interventions to deliver health information to ecstasy and related drugs (ERDs) users, NDARC Technical Report No. 299, Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Simpson, M., Howard, J., Copeland, J., Arcuri, A. (2009) The need to monitor and reduce cannabis use among young offenders, NCPIC Bulletin No. 5, Sydney: National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre.
Thomson, N., Devaney, M., Simpson, M., Talko, T., Pahoki, S., & Ritter, A. (2008) The Australian Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure (AATOM-R): Psychometric Properties, Melbourne: Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre.
Simpson, M., Copeland, J., & Lawrinson, P. (2008) The Australian Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure (AATOM-C): Findings of the 12-month feasibility study, NDARC Technical Report No. 296, Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Simpson, M., Lawrinson, P., Copeland, J., & Gates, P. (2007) The Australian Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure (AATOM-C): Psychometric Properties, Technical Report No. 288. Sydney: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre.
Schofield P; Rushworth N; Mugford S; Simpson M; Butler T, 2016, Brain injury and the criminal justice system: Workshop report 2016, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence, Kirby Institute and Brain Injury Australia, Sydney
Simpson PL; Simpson M; Butler T, 2016, Prison cell size and adverse health effects: Potential mediating factors, The Kirby Institute and Corrective Services NSW, Sydney
Simpson PL; Simpson M; Butler T, 2016, Prison cell size and adverse health effects: A systematic review, The Kirby Institute and Corrective Services NSW, Sydney
Butler T; Callander D; Simpson MA, 2015, National Prison Entrants' Bloodborne Virus and Risk Behaviour Survey Report 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013, The Kirby Institute, Sydney
Butler T; Haikerwal M; Schofield P; Dowse L; Withall A; Turnbull T; Cations M; Simpson MA, 2016, Linking health and justice data: Submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Data Availability and Use, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Offender Health, Kirby Institute, Sydney
Selected presentations
Simpson, M. (2011) Cannabis and criminal offending among adolescents: An overview. Invited presentation to the NSW Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Network Leadership Group, Sydney 9th December.
Simpson, M. (2011) “Caught red-eyed and red-handed” A qualitative study of the social and environmental influences that contribute to first cannabis use and first criminal offence among at-risk young people, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, 20th October.
Simpson, M., Copeland, J., & Howard, J. (2010) Comparing cannabis and crime initiation among current cannabis-using young offenders: Early Findings, Australian Professional Society on Alcohol and Other Drugs, Canberra, 28th November – 1st December.
Simpson, M., Howard, J., & Copeland, J. (2010) The social context of cannabis initiation among a sample of criminally involved youth, The 2nd International Congress of the European Association for Forensic Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychology and Other Involved Professions, Basel, Switzerland 7-10th September.
Simpson, M., Copeland, J., & Howard (2009) Criminal offending and poly-substance use patterns among experimental and regular cannabis-using youth, Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference: Crime and Justice Challenges in the 21st Century: Victims, Offenders and Communities, Perth 22-25th November.
Simpson, M., Howard, J., Nelson, P., & Copeland, J. (2009) Substance use and associated risks among young offenders: why regular monitoring is important, Australian Psychological Society College of Forensic Psychologists: Advancing Forensic Psychology, Melbourne 25-28th February 2009.
Simpson, M., & Copeland, J. (2008) The Australian Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure for Clinicians (AATOM-C): psychometric properties and field testing, Australian Winter School, Brisbane, 12-14th May 2008.
Simpson PL; Simpson M; Adily A; Butler T, 2017, 'The association between prison cell spatial density and infectious and communicable disease: a systematic review', in The association between prison cell spatial density and infectious and communicable disease: a systematic review, 15th World Congress on Public Health, Melbourne, presented at 15th World Congress on Public Health, Melbourne, 03 - 07 April 2017
Simpson M, 2017, 'Drug use, injecting and associated risk behaviours among Australian prison entrants 2004-2016', in Drug use, injecting and associated risk behaviours among Australian prison entrants 2004-2016, 15th World Congress on Public Health, Melbourne, presented at 15th World Congress on Public Health, Melbourne, 03 - 07 April 2017
Simpson M, 2016, '2016 National Prison Entrants Bloodborne Virus Survey', in 2016 National Prison Entrants Bloodborne Virus Survey, Centre of Research Excellence in Offender Health Annual Symposium, Sydney, presented at Centre of Research Excellence in Offender Health Annual Symposium, Sydney, 18 - 18 November 2016
Simpson M; Yap L; Butler T, 2015, 'Willingness to be treated for hepatitis C among prisoners: Results from the National Prison Entrants' Bloodborne Virus and Risk Behaviour Survey (NPEBBVS)', in Willingness to be treated for hepatitis C among prisoners: Results from the National Prison Entrants' Bloodborne Virus and Risk Behaviour Survey (NPEBBVS), Poster presented at the 4th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users, Sydney, presented at 4th International Symposium on Hepatitis Care in Substance Users, Sydney, 07 - 09 October 2015
Simpson M, 2015, 'Juvenile offending and later health outcomes: A data linkage study', in Juvenile offending and later health outcomes: A data linkage study, Centre of Research Excellence in Offender Health Annual Symposium, Sydney, presented at Centre of Research Excellence in Offender Health Annual Symposium, Sydney, 11 - 11 November 2015