Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

Vera harnesses the power of advocacy, research, communications, technical assistance, and political strategy in its work to end mass incarceration, protect immigrant rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities. In Vera’s 2025 annual report, you’ll read about our efforts to preserve democracy, increase economic mobility, and promote community-led safety. Vera doubled down in the fight for dignity and due process for people facing deportation by increasing investment in immigrant legal services to approximately $320 million. We expanded housing access for people with conviction histories, promoted education and workforce development, and demonstrated the connections between incarceration and inequality. Vera also partnered with community leaders in cities and states around the country to ensure that communities use their limited resources to fund programs that truly keep people safe, establish public safety anchor institutions, reduce jail populations, and make prisons safer.