Vera Institute of Justice

Samantha Boccia was a program analyst for Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative. She advanced quality and equity in postsecondary education in prisons through accreditation and technical assistance projects.

Before joining Vera, Samantha worked for Horizon Government Affairs, where she managed the Telehealth Equity Coalition’s administrative operations and coauthored a report surveying 19 state and federal health insurance exchanges.

In addition to her work, Samantha participates in U.S. jail and prison visits through the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice that aim to spark personal and systemic transformation. She is also a member of her high school’s alumnae board.

Samantha holds a BA in government from Georgetown University. The focal points of her studies were constitutionalism and the pervasive inequities Black Americans face in the criminal legal system. While studying alongside Georgetown Prison Scholars in the District of Columbia Jail, she witnessed the transformative power of prison education, inspiring her to join Unlocking Potential.