Major Grant Boosts Research into Economic Value of SUD Treatments

October 30, 2025

The landscape of substance use disorder (SUD) treatments within the U.S. criminal-legal system is set for a transformative change, thanks to a substantial $4 million grant awarded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This five-year funding will enable Weill Cornell Medicine and University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine investigators to explore the economics of SUD treatments and overdose prevention strategies, particularly focusing on those entwined with the criminal justice system.

A Paradigm-Shift in SUD Interventions

Traditional approaches to SUDs in judicial settings often fall short, mainly resulting in untreated withdrawal and heightened overdose risks upon an individual’s release. This grant backs the innovative Criminal-Legal Economic Analysis & Resource (CLEAR) Center within the Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN-II), aiming to revamp how care strategies are evaluated economically.

Dr. Sean Murphy posits that the CLEAR Center’s mission is to generate compelling economic evidence identifying high-value care strategies while crafting resources that guide strategic and sustainable investments. “Our goal is to engage treatment as soon as incarceration occurs and ensure seamless care continuity upon release,” emphasizes Dr. Murphy.

Expertise and Collaborative Synergy

Helming this ambitious project alongside Dr. Murphy is Dr. Kathryn McCollister. Both investigators bring a wealth of experience in health economics related to SUDs, having previously collaborated through CHERISH—a NIDA-endorsed center of excellence that delves into intersecting crises of SUDs and infectious diseases.

The duo’s grant success is a testament to their considerable expertise, also recognized through the renewed CHERISH funding of $10.9 million over the next five years.

A Soothing Transformation in Justice Systems

The U.S. criminal-legal system faces multifaceted budgetary and staffing challenges, making it imperative to integrate evidence-based care efficiently. Initiatives like JCOIN seek to inculcate such care at every operational level, fostering better health outcomes in a restorative legal framework.

“Infusing treatment into every juncture of the criminal justice process ensures lower risks of overdose and other adverse outcomes,” shares Dr. McCollister. Through cost-effectiveness analyses and consultation aids, the CLEAR Center endeavors to navigate these specialists’ economic evaluation capabilities profoundly.

Pioneering Future Paths

Foreseeing a systemic transformation, this funding arms the CLEAR Center with the essential tools to assess economic interventions’ effectiveness comprehensively. Such insights promise to reshape policy-making and clinical trials to foreground impactful, efficient, and evidence-based SUD care in criminal-legal settings.

As the criminal justice system undergoes this proactive shift, the collaborated efforts of Dr. Sean Murphy and Dr. Kathryn McCollister could chart the course for pioneering advancements in health economics that anchor society’s approach to battling substance use disorders.

According to WCM Newsroom, this pivotal funding marks a new chapter in the approach to integrating health economics in criminal-legal contexts.