5:30 PM — 7:00 PM
Five & Dime
America is at a tipping point. In a country that continues to lead the world in locking up its own people, mass incarceration has emerged as a defining civil rights issue. In a time of deep ideological divides, the fight for justice is more urgent than ever.
That fight for justice starts in local jails in nearly every community, where millions of men and women – legally presumed innocent – are locked up over the course of every year. Most are behind bars for minor offenses, and held because they are simply too poor to post bail.
The Vera Institute of Justice believes that no one should be held in jail simply due to an inability to afford bail. That’s why we’ve partnered with artist Seymour Chwast of Pushpin Gallery – along with AMPL!FY and the New York City Department of Transportation – to launch a public artwork campaign that draws attention to this injustice.
To celebrate the release of this art project, the Vera Institute of Justice is excited to invite you to join us for a cocktail reception on Tuesday, November 28th from 5:30-7 PM at Five & Dime, a new bar in the historic Woolworth Building. The first 50 attendees will receive a free drink.
In addition to brief commentary from Vera’s bail reform experts, we will have a life-size version of this bail poster at the venue, and we’re encouraging attendees to take photos with it and share online with their social media networks. Together, we can help raise awareness for bail reform – both in New York City and across the country.
Special thanks to RFK Young Leaders for supporting Vera’s bail reform work in New York City.