Dr. O’Neil Receives Junior Scholar Award from ASA Drugs and Society Section
October 28, 2024
Dr. Meghan M. O’Neil, Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice, has received the 2024 Junior Scholar Award from the Drugs and Society Section of the American Sociological Association (ASA).
The ASA Drugs and Society Section presents the Junior Scholar Award to researchers who have made significant research contributions to the field and a strong publication record. Dr. O’Neil says "I am truly honored and humbled to receive this award. Historically, criminal justice responses to drug use had not typically been evidence-based. However, burgeoning supervision caseloads, high rates of recidivism, and alarming overdose rates have spurred a new wave of practices and innovative interventions aimed at tackling underlying causes of drug misuse—like trauma—and structural barriers to successful reentry that contribute to these adverse outcomes. With the overdose epidemic estimated to have cost the US economy over a trillion dollars per year, swift and effective justice system interventions are warranted.”
“I am excited to pursue this research at MSU SCJ and thankful to the formerly incarcerated persons, courts, law enforcement, and treatment staff who contribute to the progress that is being made to respond to this American epidemic more effectively,” added O’Neil.
Congratulations, Dr. O’Neil – this is well earned!
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Dr. Meghan O'Neil is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Dr. O’Neil’s research interests include Criminal Justice Systems, Poverty & Monetary Sanctions, Racial Inequality, and Substance Use Disorders & Trauma.
Prior to joining the School of Criminal Justice, Dr. O’Neil was a Research Scholar at the Moritz College of Law Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at The Ohio State University, and a Research Investigator at the University of Michigan Institute of Social Research.
Dr. O’Neil is the first-generation in her family to attend college.