Thunder in Oklahoma City
NBA team owner Clayton Bennett and allied business leaders at the forefront of criminal justice reform
At a time of unprecedented challenge, we’re fighting for justice reform built on bedrock American values and grounded in action at the state and local level.
Vera is committed to
Featured Work
The Enhanced Pre-Arraignment Screening Unit
Improving Health Services, Medical Triage, and Diversion Opportunities in Manhattan Central Booking
New York City established Pre-Arraignment Medical Screening Units (PASUs) in all boroughs’ central booking facilities, except Staten Island, as a result of a 1993 legal settlement requiring the city to establish a process for screening the health needs of people who are arrested, booked into police custody, and awaiting arraignment. Unfortunately, ...
Against the Odds
Experimenting with Alternative Forms of Bail in New York City’s Criminal Courts
Statistics show that money bail is unaffordable and out of reach for many New Yorkers. On any given day, 7,000 people are detained pretrial at Rikers Island and other New York City jails because they cannot make bail. While judges in New York can choose up to nine different forms of bail at arraignment—include “alternative” forms that require littl...
Closing the Distance
The Impact of Video Visits on Washington State Prisons
For people who are incarcerated, separation from family and friends is a difficult fact of life, as are the financial and logistical barriers that keep their loved ones from visiting them in prison. Because research has shown that contact with loved ones is a critical factor in improving outcomes for incarcerated people returning home, prison syste...
