Washington

Vera works with government and community partners across the country to advance research, analyze policy, pilot programs, and implement solutions on the ground. Working on nearly 60 projects in 40 states, Vera is committed to developing solutions to the most pressing injustices of our day. This page encompasses all of Vera’s work in Washington, and any related news coverage.

Related Work

A Piece of the Puzzle

State Financial Aid for Incarcerated Students

Postsecondary education in prison puts people on a path toward a brighter future by disrupting the cycle of poverty and incarceration. But it has not been offered at scale due to the numerous barriers—including the 1994 ban on Pell Grants to people in prison—that prevent students and postsecondary institutions from accessing state and federal fundi...

Publication
  • Lauren Hobby, Brian Walsh, Ruth Delaney
July 11, 2019
Publication

Closing the Distance

The Impact of Video Visits on Washington State Prisons

For people who are incarcerated, separation from family and friends is a difficult fact of life, as are the financial and logistical barriers that keep their loved ones from visiting them in prison. Because research has shown that contact with loved ones is a critical factor in improving outcomes for incarcerated people returning home, prison syste...

Publication
  • Léon Digard, Jessi LaChance, Jennifer Hill
August 15, 2017
Publication

Status Offense Reform Center

Providing community-based alternatives to court and juvenile justice system involvement

Every year, thousands of kids are brought to court or even placed in locked facilities for misbehaviors like truancy, running away, and curfew violations—also known as status offenses—which are only illegal for kids under the age of 18. While these behaviors can be typical in adolescence, they can also be symptomatic of underlying issues at home or...

Project
  • Krista Larson
    Krista Larson
Project

A New Role for Technology

Video Visitation in Prison

Research shows that prison visitation is integral to the success of incarcerated people, reducing recidivism, facilitating their reentry into the community, and promoting positive parent-child relationships. However, people are often incarcerated long distances from their home communities in areas that are difficult to reach by public transport, cr...

Publication
  • Léon Digard, Margaret diZerega, Allon Yaroni, Joshua Rinaldi
March 02, 2016
Publication

In the News