Stephanie Worthen

Stephanie Worthen is a Graduate student in Psychology. She holds an AAS and BA in Criminal Justice that she obtained at ITT Technical Institute and Purdue Global University. She possesses several certifications of completion in leadership, conflict resolution and is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. 

Stephanie is an active member of her community. She participates in events like the Utah Expungement Event and the Homeless Connect Project. Her work in these projects has helped to remove the roadblock of criminal offenses that prevent people from obtaining work and opportunities to find a place to live. 

She is passionate about equality and inclusiveness for everyone. Stephanie does not possess extreme views but will challenge the status quo when she sees unfairness or injustice and works towards removing the ‘rob Peter to pay Paul’ idiom within society. She seeks a balance of fairness for everyone, and she advocates by inspiring others to use their voice, know and understand their rights, laws that govern and educate individuals on natural human behaviors.

In her work history she aims for innovation and improvement of the system and its people. Ensuring to build a better culture and environment than it was when she arrived. She has successfully inspired changes in procedures at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail by advocating for the requirement for Officers to use their voice and communicating their actions towards current inmates and using unimposing restraints during escorts of emotional individuals. Preventing confrontation between officers and emotionally unstable individuals. Overall, the results of the change reduced the number of inmate/officer altercations within the facility. 

While at the Salt Lake City Justice Court, she advocated for a change in the expungement process within the State of Utah. Collaborating with judges, prosecutors, defense officials and BCI for a change in the process during the COVID pandemic to allow for the processing of expungements to be done electronically. This advocacy helped chart a new path that streamlined access to justice and to create a more efficient and cost-saving of time and resources for the public as well as government officials. 

Stephanie was raised in an intercultural family with extreme opposing views by immigrants from two separate countries, customs and religious backgrounds. She learned how to mediate miscommunication and translate meaning and context for everyone during family altercations and disagreements. She has carried her experience in communication, mediation and problem-solving in her work and personal life. Helping to alleviate fears from government, situational fears and she has become a guiding light for those within the criminal justice system and within workplace cultures. Stephanie strives for continuous improvement within personal and professional development for everyone she encounters and inspires a positive culture of transparency and growth within the workplace and in the home.