We’re grateful to Greg Harris for joining us for this month’s “Five Questions With…” and for reflecting so thoughtfully on a career that has spanned the newsroom, Capitol Hill, eight years at the Department of Justice, and now more than a decade leading Counteract International. His journey, from shaping national juvenile justice policy to walking daily alongside incarcerated youth, reveals a leader who understands both the limits of government and the power of consistent, faith‑driven presence. In discussing his new book, COUNTERACT: Walking Alongside Incarcerated Youth in Central America from Prison to Purpose, Greg shares three convictions that anchor his work: “that no young person is beyond redemption, that real change happens through consistent presence and faith in action, and that each of us can play a part in that process.”
Q: You’ve spent more than a decade leading Counteract International, working directly with incarcerated and released youth across El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. What drew you to this mission?
The seeds were planted during the Bush Administration while working on juvenile justice issues at the Department of Justice. I saw that policy initiatives and federal funding could accomplish meaningful work in delinquency prevention and youth re-entry programs. But they had their limits. While they addressed immediate, external needs, they didn’t reach the deeper issues required for lasting life transformation.
That’s why President Bush’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) across federal agencies and the precursor of “charitable choice” championed by then-Senator John Ashcroft in the 1997 welfare reform were so important. They recognized that faith-based organizations have a unique role to play alongside government in addressing the whole person and should be included in delivering solutions.
After the administration, during a period of mid-career reflection, I read Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance by Bob Buford along with some other Christian books. They helped me reprioritize life goals and consider where I might serve next. That path led to Counteract International (then known as Orphan Helpers) that works with juvenile offenders in the Northern Triangle of Central America. The mission is to equip these youth with faith-based life skills inside detention centers and continue mentorship and guidance beyond bars as they reenter their communities.
Q: Your new book, COUNTERACT: Walking Alongside Incarcerated Youth in Central America from Prison to Purpose, shares powerful stories of transformation behind the walls of juvenile prisons. What compelled you and co-author Francisco Molina to write it now, and what do you hope readers take away from these stories of redemption?
The book really began with our frontline staff. The Counteract teams of local Salvadorans, Hondurans, and Guatemalans are the heroes of the mission. Each day they go into some of the toughest juvenile prisons and dangerous neighborhoods. They consistently bring us stories of real transformation happening in these places. Young men and women who were once committing crimes and written off by society are now earning college degrees, starting businesses, and even working in their country’s Supreme Court. We had so many stories of life change, of God working in young lives. We just felt they needed to be told.
We wrote it now because, when it comes to Central America, so much of the public conversation today centers around border security and immigration enforcement. While those issues certainly matter, they address the symptoms. The work Counteract is doing in Central America is aimed further upstream. It’s focused on interrupting cycles of crime, instability, and the cause of migration. A relatively small investment in this kind of work can reduce the need for far more costly responses later.
My co-author, Francisco Molina, served in the Guatemalan president’s cabinet and oversaw the country’s services for children and youth. Together, we wanted to share solutions that we’ve seen work. The hope is that readers will have three takeaways: that no young person is beyond redemption, that real change happens through consistent presence and faith in action, and that each of us can play a part in that process.
Q: Counteract is known for its holistic, faith-driven model that meets youth behind bars with mentorship, life skills, and biblical guidance. When you think about that approach in practice, what does “holistic” really mean for a young person trying to build a new identity and a new future?
Most of these incarcerated youth grew up in circumstances that are difficult for many of us to fully grasp. Unimaginable poverty. Vicious crime. Heartbreaking abandonment. To us, getting an education and gaining employment might seem normal. To them, that only happens in fairy tales. As we say in the book, they were born into a battle. The offenses that brought them to prison are usually the last chapter of a much longer story.
So, when we talk about “holistic”, we mean addressing their emotional, social, physical, and spiritual needs. We start the work in our Success Academy behind bars where we help each young person rebuild four core relationships: with God, with themselves, with others, and with their community. It includes developing life skills, forming a foundation of faith, working through trauma, and creating a practical plan for reentry.
It also means recognizing that release day isn’t the finish line. In fact, reintegration is often the most vulnerable moment. Holistic work continues beyond bars through consistent mentorship and connection to schools, jobs, churches, and supportive relationships. Now, these young people are not only rebuilding their own lives, but they’re coming back to serve others in their communities. That’s when the work comes full circle.
Q: You served all eight years at the Department of Justice, including as Chief of Staff at ATF and later as Deputy Administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. What’s a leadership lesson, favorite moment, or story from your DOJ years that still guides how you approach your work today?
One leadership lesson, and favorite moment, that has stayed with me is from January 7, 2009. As President Bush was wrapping up his second term, he took time to recognize those who had served in the Administration. He gathered appointees at Constitution Hall for a send-off, encouraging us to continue to work toward our values and principles. He invited those who had served all eight years to join him on stage.
The president didn’t need anything more from us at that point. Our service was ending. He had a transition to manage and a country to hand off. In fact, I believe it was the same day he was hosting all the living presidents at the White House. But he made time to thank people across agencies who had carried out the work. He understood that no leader gets there alone.
That moment has stayed with me. Genuine appreciation for the contributions of others is a core leadership trait. It builds trust, sustains teams through hard seasons, and reinforces that the mission is bigger than any one person. That’s something we’ve aimed to carry into Counteract’s mission. Our staff serve in challenging conditions inside detention centers across three countries. Making sure they know their work matters, that it’s seen, and they are valued guides our work today.
Q: Your early career began in a TV newsroom and then as a Senate press secretary. How did those years — shaping stories under pressure and communicating in high-stakes environments — prepare you for leadership roles in government and the nonprofit world?
A key lesson from those early years was the importance of clarity. In a newsroom and on Capitol Hill, things move fast and there’s constant noise. There’s always more information than you can process and never enough time. In those environments, it’s important to cut to the chase and ask: Why does this matter? Who needs to understand it? How can I present it clearly? That lesson carries across every sector whether it’s media, government, business, or nonprofit.
As Simon Sinek says, great leaders start with the ‘why’. They help people see what matters most and have the discipline to say it simply and with integrity. Effectively communicating the human impact behind an issue gets people involved. People won’t follow unless they understand what’s important, what’s at stake, and what’s the vision for a better future.
So, that’s what we’ve tried to do with this book. To make a clear, compelling case for why the lives of youth in Central American detention centers matter. To show how a relatively small, focused investment can make a big difference in a young life. The hope is that, by sharing these stories and the impact of the mission, we’ve brought clarity to something that might feel distant or complicated and inspire action.
