Topeka K. Sam
| Topeka K. Sam | |
| Nationality | American |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Criminal justice reform advocate, social entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founding The Ladies of Hope Ministries |
| Education | Morgan State University; New York Theological Seminary |
| Website | drtopekaksam.com |
Topeka K. Sam is an American criminal justice reform advocate and social entrepreneur who founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries (The LOHM), a nonprofit that supports people affected by the criminal justice system, after serving time in federal prison herself.[1][2] She received a full pardon from President Donald Trump on December 23, 2020, in recognition of her reform work.[1]
Sam directs her advocacy toward the dignity, decriminalization, and decarceration of women and girls. She has advocated for the First Step Act, campaigned for the clemency of Alice Marie Johnson, and led programs on reentry housing and food security through The LOHM.[1][2]
Early life and education
Sam grew up in a predominantly white neighborhood on Long Island, New York.[1] She studied computer science at Morgan State University, a historically Black university in Baltimore, Maryland, and later worked at Amtrak and in a series of business ventures.[1][3] She earned a certificate in Christian ministry from New York Theological Seminary in 2015 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in divinity by the seminary in May 2022.[3][1]
Conviction and incarceration
Sam was arrested on April 24, 2012, for her role in a multi-kilogram cocaine trafficking conspiracy, and pleaded guilty on January 11, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine; the charge included a transaction involving 80 kilograms of the drug.[1] She was sentenced to 130 months at Federal Correctional Institution, Danbury, followed by five years of supervised release.[1] After writing a letter to the judge, filing an appeal, and completing a drug treatment program, she had her sentence reduced and was released early in 2015.[1] She marked ten years of freedom in May 2025.[3]
Pardon
On December 23, 2020, President Donald Trump granted Sam a full pardon, citing her work in criminal justice reform; businessman Daniel Loeb had lobbied the White House on her behalf.[1]
Advocacy
Sam served as national director of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls from December 2015 to October 2017, and as director of the Dignity for Incarcerated Women campaign at the criminal justice reform organization #cut50 from October 2017 to December 2020.[3] She produced a video supporting clemency for Alice Marie Johnson that helped inspire Kim Kardashian's lobbying of the Trump administration, which led to Johnson's commutation in 2018.[1] Sam advocated for passage of the First Step Act and spoke at the 2018 White House Prison Reform Summit, where she drew attention to incarcerated women's lack of access to sanitary pads.[1] She has been a fellow at Columbia University, has worked as a filmmaker for 44 Blue Productions, and became the first formerly incarcerated board member of The Marshall Project.[1] She also co-founded the fresh-food venture MyFRSH and sits on advisory boards including the Council on Criminal Justice and the United Justice Coalition.[3]
The Ladies of Hope Ministries
Sam founded The Ladies of Hope Ministries, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in 2017.[2][1] The organization fights for the dignity, decriminalization, and decarceration of women and girls through a vision it calls EPIC — Empowerment, Partnership, Initiating Change, and Community Development — and supports justice-impacted people with housing, job training, advocacy, and pathways to sustainable lives after incarceration.[2] Its Angel Food Delivery Program had delivered more than 9,000 bags of groceries to affected families as of December 2022.[1] Sam co-established the organization's Hope House, transitional housing for women on parole, with Vanee Sykes in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx; as of December 2023 Hope House locations operated in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Prince George's County, Maryland.[1] Through its rapid rehousing and Hope House programs, The LOHM reports having helped more than 77 women and 55 children with roughly $1.5 million in rental assistance and permanent housing support.[2]
Recognition
Sam received Google's inaugural Social Impact Award on May 5, 2022, accompanied by a $100,000 grant.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 "Topeka Sam". Wikipedia. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "The LOHM — Empowering Justice-Impacted Individuals". The Ladies of Hope Ministries. Retrieved 2026-09-30.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Dr. Topeka K. Sam — Social Entrepreneur, Speaker, Advisor". Topeka K. Sam. Retrieved 2026-09-30.