Samantha Richter, from Westchester, New York, is studying Public Policy with a Certificate in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. She is passionate about criminal justice reform, with a focus on reentry policy and supporting people transitioning out of incarceration. At Duke, she leads the Duke Justice Project, which advances advocacy efforts and organizes record clearance clinics for the local community. Samantha has contributed to research on topics ranging from the 2008 financial crisis to congressional polarization and foreign policy, and for the past two years has worked at the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law, producing practitioner-focused reports and qualitative research to inform reentry policy. Beyond Duke, she has held policy and legal internships with RESCALED in Brussels, where she conducted field research on small-scale detention houses across Europe; the Legal Aid Association of California; and The Gathering for Justice in New York, advancing juvenile justice legislation. In her free time, she enjoys baking, collecting vinyl records, and hiking. She hopes to continue working in prison policy reform before attending law school to bridge research, legal advocacy, and on-the-ground implementation.
Honors Thesis: Overcoming Political Barriers to Implementing Small-Scale Detention Houses in Europe: Insights from a Comparative Policy Analysis.
Faculty Advisor: Professor Christopher Wildeman