An initiative focused on centering racial equity in prosecution reform
Motion for Justice is a product of the Dignity, Racial Justice, and Prosecution Initiative led by the Vera Institute of Justice’s Reshaping Prosecution program and John Jay College of Criminal Justice’s Institute for Innovation in Prosecution.
The senseless and violent deaths of Black people—like George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and David McAtee—at the hands of law enforcement are not isolated incidents. They are examples of an unjust and oppressive system that is weaponized against Black people. Though the just prosecution of officers involved in acts of police brutality is necessary, it h ...
Prosecutors are supposed to dehumanize people charged with crimes. That’s what we’re taught in law school. As my professor instructed, if you’re a prosecutor, always refer to the person accused as “the defendant.” Using “defendant” distances the judge or jury from seeing the accused as a person and makes it easier to pass judgment on them. But if y ...
Although her victory was hailed by progressives, critics expressed concern that the policy shift could lead to increased crime. Yet, Rollins made her intentions clear: the misdemeanor charges on the decline-to-prosecute list are often driven by poverty, mental health issues, substance use, and social issues more appropriately addressed outside the ...
Lessons from the Field
Prosecutors wield tremendous power. They decide whom to charge—and with what offense—whether to ask for bail, when to provide evidence to the defense, and what plea offer to make. For decades, prosecutors have used their discretion in ways that contribute to mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system. However, communiti ...
A Virtual Event on the Power of District Attorneys in Criminal Justice
District attorneys wield enormous power in the criminal legal system. They have the power to decide the fate of people accused of crimes at every stage of a criminal case. They have tremendous sway over other actors throughout the criminal legal system, including policing practices and enforcement. We, the people, have the power to influence how th ...
Annual Report 2018
The Vera Institute of Justice is working to radically transform incarceration in America by replacing punishing practices with an approach that prioritizes compassion, true accountability, healing, restoration, opportunity, and hope. Learn more about our commitment to human dignity in our annual report 2018.
Black and Latino people are overrepresented in the U.S. criminal justice system. While racial disparity in case outcomes is often attributed to law enforcement practices or judicial decision making, the role of prosecutors is overlooked. In fact, prosecutors have wide discretionary power in case processing decisions—from initial screening, charging ...
Racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system are often seen as the result of law enforcement practices and/or judicial decision making. The role of prosecutors, however, is regularly overlooked. Prosecutors have wide discretion when it comes to initial screening, charging, bail, and pretrial detention recommendations, as well as div ...
An Analysis of Prosecutorial Decision Making
Prosecuting attorneys enjoy exceptionally broad discretion in making decisions that influence criminal case outcomes. They make pivotal decisions throughout the life of a case with little public or judicial scrutiny. With support from the National Institute of Justice, the Vera Institute of Justice undertook research to better understand how prosec ...
Using Data to Advance Fairness in Criminal Prosecution
Vera’s Prosecution and Racial Justice Program (PRJ) works with district attorneys and their staffs to collect and analyze data that can identify inappropriate racial disparities in prosecutorial decision making and guide corrective action when necessary. This report discusses PRJ’s methods and identifies lessons learned from its government partners ...