Carissa Phelps

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Carissa Liana Phelps (born September 12, 1976)^[1] is an American author, attorney, and advocate for sexually exploited runaway children and homeless youth. She is known as the subject of the award-winning documentary, Carissa, directed by David Sauvage and produced by Davis Guggenheim, Chad Troutwine, and Jamie McCourt. The 2008 film revisits her life as a sexually exploited runaway child living on the streets of Fresno, California. Having been involved in various petty crimes and probation violations, as well as grand theft auto,^[2] she was incarcerated at the CK Wakefield Home for Boys during a pilot program to voluntarily integrate girls into the facility by the California Youth Authority. Teaching herself mathematics and working to overcome numerous rapes, sexual exploitation, and substance abuse and addictions, she eventually graduated with an MBA and a J.D. degree from UCLA. She is the founder of Runaway Girl, Inc., which advocates for runaway and homeless youth, while providing training for organizations to effectively reach out and address homelessness and human trafficking. In 2012, her life story was told in the book, Runaway Girl: Escaping Life on the Streets, One Helping Hand at a Time.