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Director Name

Gretta L. Goodwin

Director,
Homeland Security and Justice

Areas of Expertise:

  • Justice issues and the federal judiciary
  • Law Enforcement, federal prisons, and vulnerable populations
  • Management of Federal Prison System

Gretta L. Goodwin is a Director in GAO’s Homeland Security and Justice team. She has led reviews on the federal response to address the online exploitation of children, law enforcement oversight and use of force, the federal response to the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, law enforcement use of facial recognition technology, the care of pregnant women in DHS and DOJ custody, Bureau of Prisons’ response to COVID-19, DNA evidence backlogs, Pell Grants for incarcerated students, juvenile justice issues for Native American youth, human trafficking, federal criminal restitution, background checks for gun purchases involving domestic violence records, and federal data on sexual violence.

Gretta joined GAO in August 1998 and has worked on a range of issues including Social Security reform, disability, women in the workforce, polling place accessibility during the 2000 election, Davis-Bacon wage setting, the DC school voucher program, 529 college savings plans, and contingent workers in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

Gretta earned a Ph.D. and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Gretta earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Houston. She has also been an instructor at the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at The George Washington University.

Exploitation of Children Online is Increasing, As Are The Challenges In Preventing It
How Virtual Currencies Are Used in Human and Drug Trafficking
Law Enforcement Excessive Use of Force
Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women