Vera Institute of Justice

Leah Skrzypiec is a part-time research assistant at Vera's Center on Sentencing and Corrections, where she tracks legislative developments and trends in policing reform. Originally from Australia, she moved to New York to pursue her passion for progressive politics and policy ideas. Prior to her move, Leah spent five years working in an Australian state parliament where she conducted policy and legislative research and analysis for elected officials. However, since arriving in New York, her interest has focused solidly on ways to achieve meaningful criminal justice reform.

Leah currently volunteers with the Coalition for Women’s Prisoners, advocating for various progressive legislative changes. Prior to Vera, she interned with the Center for Popular Democracy, conducting research on policing reforms. Leah has a PhD in political science from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and her thesis focused on the importance of equality in underpinning our democracy. Leah is drawn to progressive criminal justice reform because it is a practical extension of this thinking and it highlights the necessity of policy solutions that place equality and human dignity at their center.