Samantha Harris, M.P.A., Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Dr. Samantha Harris survived childhood emotional, mental, physical, & sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, homelessness, mental illness, and the “abuse to prison pipeline.” As a consequence of her personal experience, Dr. Harris devotes her talents as a Nonprofit and Grant Management Specialist exclusively to Criminal Justice Reform and Social Change Organizations. Her areas of expertise include: •Fundraising Campaign Strategy & Planning•Fundraising Event Planning & Management •Board Development•Organizational Development & Restructuring•Cultural Transformation•Team Building•Staff Planning and Transitions•Budget Forecasting•Financial Planning•Gift Solicitation •Grant Services•Annual Funds Campaigns •Digital Marketing Campaigns•Capital Campaigns Dr. Harris consults with organizations of varying sizes; her current clients include The Women’s Prison Association (WPA), Just Leadership USA (JLUSA), Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), Killingsworth Home, Turn90, Amnesty International (New York), South Carolina NAACP, The Marshall Project, The Innocence Project (Palmetto Innocence in South Carolina & Cardoza Law Innocence Project in New York), Reform Alliance, The Reformers: New York University, Vera Institute of Justice, The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, and Free America. Dr. Harris completed both her M.P.A. and Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina where she earned the class thesis and dissertation awards. Additionally, Dr. Harris was honored to be named a Soros Justice Fellow for her work organizing a network of women impacted by the criminal legal system to help challenge the harmful narratives surrounding the dichotomy of violent and nonviolent crime in that system and in society at large. Dr. Harris is also proud of her work as a Gueron Scholar Doctoral Fellow, researching the impact of body cavity searches on detained sexual abuse victims.Recently, in addition to her work as a consultant and grants administrator, Dr. Harris accepted the position of “lobbyist” on behalf of The Center for American Progress Criminal Justice Reform Roundtable. Her initial assignment focuses on garnering support for the Safer Supervision Act. Dr. Harris lives in Charleston, S.C. She enjoys European travel, cruising, all things Disney, walks on Folly Beach, WWII and Holocaust History, equestrian activities, snorkeling, and culinary classes. She is a dedicated women’s prison volunteer. Dr. Harris has one daughter, Sabrina, a recent graduate of Furman University; Sabrina plans to attend law school in the fall of 2025.