Jan 29, 2013 Municipal, state, and federal policymakers nationwide continue to search for innovative and cost-effective ways to improve results in the criminal justice system and enhance public safety. Work by Vera’s President Michael Jacobson drawing on Vera’s evidence-based approach to this effort is showing up this week—in print, on air, and in-person. Jacobson was prominently featured in a recent front-page New York Times article on how New York City managed to...

Jan 22, 2013 We are approaching the end of January, which is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. But we are not seeing the end of modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is a hidden but growing phenomenon both outside and within U.S. borders. Many victims of trafficking, particularly women and children, are exploited for purposes of prostitution and pornography. However, trafficking also takes place in diverse...

Dec 21, 2012 On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department announced it has reached an agreement with Shelby County, Tennessee...

Dec 10, 2012 Storm Lake is a town of 13,000 people in northwestern Iowa. I became the police chief in October 1989 just as our town was reaching a demographic tipping point. At first, change came slowly in the late 1970’s with the arrival of small groups of immigrants from Laos and various Latin American...

Dec 3, 2012 The Vera Institute’s high quality research often depends upon collaborations with leading service organizations who work closely with the justice system to rescue and protect victims of abuse. Sanctuary for Families, a partner organization in the Vera Institute’s research on human...

Nov 13, 2012 A November 4 New York Times article on the corrosive effects of gang violence among Chicago youth drew on an ongoing two-decade-long study of young people caught up in this violent culture.Today, Annie Salsich, director of Vera's...