Moriah Sharpe
Doctoral student and graduate research assistant
About
Moriah is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in justice, law, and criminology at American University, focusing on justice and public policy.
Her research interests include life-course criminology, evidence-based policy, and social services as protective factors. She is interested in questions of procedural justice, intersectional inequality, and human dignity in the criminal justice system.
Originally from North Carolina, she is passionate about addressing inequality and injustice in her hometown and beyond.
Education
American University, Washington, D.C.
PhD in Justice, Law, and Criminology
- Entered program August 2023
- Comprehensive exams: criminological theory, public policy
University of North Texas, Denton, TX
MS in Criminal Justice, concentration in Theory and Research
- Graduated May 2021
- Comprehensive exams: criminal justice administration, criminological theory, research methods
- Tori J. Caeti Memorial Scholar, 2020-2021
- Outstanding Graduate Student in Criminal Justice, 2021
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
BA in Psychology, minor in Linguistics
- Graduated May 2018
- Honors laureate; graduated with distinction
Selected experience
American University
Graduate assistant
Assist with research on rehabilitation in prison, access to justice, and pretrial processes; assist with class preparation, supervision, and grading for hybrid and in-person classes
- Guest lecturer, JLC 200: Deprivation of Liberty; JLC 104: Introduction to Systems of Justice
Criminal Justice Innovation Lab
Research assistant
Assist with quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis for ongoing projects on alternative responder programs, social workers in public defenders’ offices, and pretrial services
University of North Texas
Graduate assistant
Assisted with research on adult probation in Texas; assisted with coursework grading, class preparation, and classroom supervision for online and in-person classes ranging from 29 to 247 students
North Richland Hills Police Department
Research and planning intern
Analyzed financial data for NRHPD’s shared services agreement with Richland Hills, Haltom City, and Watauga police departments and produced projected non-shared financial data; prepared report describing findings
Publications
Vaske, J. & Sharpe, M. (under review). Examining the impact of a sanction grid in a treatment court.
Sharpe, M. (2026). Racial disparities in transit policing. In V. Ceccato & A. Loukaitou-Sideris, Elgar Encyclopedia of Transit Crime and Safety, Edward Elgar Publishing.
Turner, H. & Sharpe, M. (2025). Supporting and evaluating implementation of social workers in public defender offices. Criminal Justice Innovation Lab.
Johnson, R., Wilkerson, G., & Sharpe, M. (2025). Putting the person in the picture: An examination of the lived experience of entry, assimilation, and adaptation on death row. In C. Dum, J. Fader, T. LeBel, & K. Wright (Eds.), Handbook on Lived Experience in the Justice System, Routledge.
Ripper, B., Whitmire, L., Smith, P. V., Sharpe, M., Leopold, R., & Johnson, R. (2025). Lived experience can inform reentry programs inside of prison for individuals sentenced to life. In C. Dum, J. Fader, T. LeBel, & K. Wright (Eds.), Handbook on Lived Experience in the Justice System, Routledge.
Moriah Sharpe 