Prosecutors Hold the Power to Build Real Public Safety

Across the country, communities—especially communities of color and low-income communities—are calling for a justice system that prioritizes dignity, accountability, and true public safety. Prosecutors can help answer that call.

At Vera, we believe public safety should mean everyone has the opportunity to thrive. That means reducing our reliance on incarceration and ending the racial disparities that have long defined the criminal justice system. Prosecutors have a critical role to play—and the power to create lasting change.

A Justice System that Serves Communities rather than Prioritizing Punishment

Vera works to transform the role of prosecutors so their offices pursue safety through equity, fairness, and care—not incarceration. We support reforms that:

• Limit who enters the criminal justice system in the first place;
• Shrink the footprint of prosecution in everyday life;
• Eliminate racial disparities in how justice is administered; and
• Build trust and accountability with the most-impacted communities.

A History of Harm—and a System Still Built to Punish

Prosecutors (also known as district attorneys or state’s attorneys) are the gatekeepers of the criminal justice system. They decide who gets charged, what charges are filed, whether bail is requested, what plea deals are offered, and the sentences people face. These decisions have long fueled mass incarceration and deepened racial injustice.

Prosecutorial power has been used to enforce discriminatory laws and criminalize entire communities:

• In the late 1800s, formerly enslaved people were jailed for vague charges like “walking without purpose.”
• During the Jim Crow era, prosecutors upheld racist segregation laws.
• In the “War on Drugs,” prosecutors pushed for harsh sentences that disproportionately targeted Black and other communities of color.

These patterns persist today.

A Growing Movement for Change

Some prosecutors are embracing reforms—using data, community engagement, and diversion to make safer, fairer choices. But more must follow. Vera calls on prosecutors to:

• Shift how success is measured—from convictions and sentence length to community well-being.
• Collaborate with impacted communities to shape equitable, transparent policies.
• Lead with evidence, not fear, to dismantle the drivers of mass incarceration.

Prosecutors helped build the system we have today. They also have the power—and responsibility—to transform it.