Vera Institute of Justice

Jennifer Peirce is a senior research associate with the Jail Decarceration program, working primarily on the Rural Jails Research and Policy Network. She also contributes to Vera’s research on restrictive housing in prisons and jails. She has done mixed-methods research on institutional change, governance, and social climate in prisons in Latin America and the Caribbean. Previously, Jennifer worked in international development and justice sector policy for over a decade, including with the Inter-American Development Bank and the Government of Canada (Global Affairs). She holds a PhD in criminal justice from John Jay College and the CUNY Graduate Center, an MA in international affairs from Carleton University, and a BA in international development studies from Dalhousie University.