Akua
Amaning

Director, Criminal Justice Reform

she/her

Close

Contact
Akua Amaning

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Akua Amaning is the director for Criminal Justice Reform at American Progress. In her current role, she works to advance progressive policy solutions that will ensure a more equitable justice system, while providing protections and opportunities for those who have been directly affected by the criminal justice system. Prior to joining American Progress, Amaning served as the legislative fellow for U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), where she worked on a number of legislative and policy matters under the member’s House Judiciary Committee portfolio. She also served as the Nancy Hale Social Policy Fellow at Third Way, a nonprofit think tank in Washington, D.C., where she worked in several issue areas, including immigration and policing reform.

Amaning holds a Master of Law from American University’s Washington College of Law and a J.D. from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. She is also a proud alumna of the University of Miami, where she graduated with a B.A. in English literature.

Latest

Compact View

Fines and Fees Are a Barrier to Criminal Record-Clearing Article
View of a Black man in profile, wearing dark winter clothes, walking on a sidewalk holding a large blue bucket. He is scattering de-icing salt in front of a brown brick/stone building with a small grassy area between the building and the sidewalk, although it's entirely covered in a tin layer of snow with brown leaves visible.

Fines and Fees Are a Barrier to Criminal Record-Clearing

Jurisdictions can take several steps to eliminate the financial barriers imposed by fines and fees, which would help system-impacted individuals clear their records and reenter society.

Gus Tupper, Akua Amaning, Jaboa Lake

The Facts on State and Local Elections Fact Sheet
Voters stand in line outside of a satellite polling station in Philadelphia, October 2020. (Getty/Mark Makela)

The Facts on State and Local Elections

State and local elected officials are the key to ensuring that significant reforms are made to the criminal justice system.

Akua Amaning

Clemency 101 Fact Sheet
Pictured is a day of hearings at the Massachusetts Parole Board, which recommends clemency to the governor. (Getty/John Tlumacki)

Clemency 101

Clemency is a criminal justice reform tool that governors and the president can use to correct unjust sentences.

Kenny Lo, Betsy Pearl, Akua Amaning

The MORE Act: A Fair and Just Approach to Marijuana Policy Video

The MORE Act: A Fair and Just Approach to Marijuana Policy

The war on drugs has adversely affected people of color for decades; if enacted, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act has an opportunity to correct these harms.

Max Hardman, Kurt Mueller, Akua Amaning

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Just released!

Interactive: Mapping access to abortion by congressional district

Click here