Meda Barker Research Associate Degree: M.S., Criminal Justice, Virginia Commonwealth University Phone: 443-388-0471 ext. 277 Fax: 410-752-4218 Email: medabarker@hotmail.com

Research Interests

Meda Barker is relatively new to the field of substance abuse research.  However, her research interests are primarily focused on the impact of drug policies in America as they relate to criminal justice, including the effects that such policies have on the poor, prison populations, and society as a whole.  She is currently working on a manuscript that outlines inconsistencies inherent in many of the nation’s social policies that are ostensibly designed to protect individuals from engaging in self-destructive behaviors including illicit drug use, unprotected sexual activities, and compulsive gambling.  Her advisor for this manuscript, Dr. Faye Taxman, is the Principal Investigator on a study in which she is currently the project manager. This NIDA-funded study entitled “Manualized Treatment” examines various strategies for improving outcomes for drug-involved probationers in Baltimore County.  Following study completion, Ms. Barker plans to pursue a doctorate in criminology from the University of California, Irvine.