As director of the Council’s 17-member Women’s Justice Commission, Stephanie Akhter works to establish consensus on policies to safely reduce the number of women in the justice system and improve outcomes for women and their families. She also leads efforts to fill critical gaps in research and national discourse about the distinct challenges and outcomes experienced by justice-involved women.
Akhter has spent her career advancing justice and safety within the direct service, policy, and philanthropic sectors. Prior to joining the Council, she was chief of staff of criminal justice at Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy dedicated to promoting evidence-based policy solutions for some of our nation’s most intractable social problems. Earlier in her career, she led reentry and employment policy initiatives at the Council of State Governments Justice Center and provided direct services to people reentering society after incarceration. As part of her work, Akhter has delivered multiple presentations to a variety of government agencies and policy organizations, including the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor, the National Conference of State Legislatures, the National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, and the American Probation and Parole Association.
Akhter holds a Master of Social Work from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ramapo College of New Jersey.
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