On Thursday, April 20, 2017, justice reform leaders and supporters joined the Vera Institute of Justice for Vera’s 11th Annual Gala, Reimagine Justice.
Honorees discussed approaches to criminal justice reform and the future of the movement in a very different federal climate. Samuel David Flores Murillo, a client of Vera’s recently expanded New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP), gave a moving speech about the need for increased support for immigrant families and communities.
Assessing the Impact of Legal Representation on Family and Community Unity
This study evaluates the impact of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). NYIFUP is the nation’s first public defender system for immigrants facing deportation—defined as those in removal proceedings before an immigration judge. Funded by the New York City Council since July 2014, the program provides a free attorney to almost all de ...
Publicly funded attorneys are a critical tool in states’ ICE accountability efforts.
Andry José Hernández Romero was on the path to legal residency when the Trump administration labeled him a member of a Venezuelan gang and sent him to a Salvadoran mega-prison, where he spent 125 torturous days. The evidence against him? Tattoos of a crown on each wrist, one with the word “Mom” and the other with the word “Dad.” On the one-year ann ...
Lessons from the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Every day, gun violence leaves communities grieving and searching for solutions. It reflects multiple system failures, affects nearly every community, and exposes the limits of fragmented government responses. A coordinated, whole-of-government approach—a strategy that brings together multiple agencies to coordinate efforts—can address immediate sa ...