Vera Institute of Justice

@motherjones.com recently published a profile of the Vera Institute’s work (and of Vera Action, the independent c4) to challenge harmful “tough-on-crime" politics and champion an approach that centers safety, accountability, and justice. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Politicians, elected leaders, & government officials can turn the crime issue from a liability to a strength by going on offense & establishing their own brand as being "serious about safety." The winning strategy is not to focus on fear, but on evidence-based solutions that make communities safer.

As violence has fallen dramatically in New Orleans, experts point to investments like trauma recovery and mobile crisis response. Our message to leaders considering the 2027 city budget: don’t cut the programs that have worked to keep New Orleans safe. thelensnola.org/2026/10/21/n...

Amid continued attacks on due process, immigrant New Yorkers face a new obstacle: remote deportation judges. While immigration attorneys and families fill courtrooms in Manhattan, newly hired judges preside virtually from undisclosed locations.

“I had suffered from domestic violence. But the one who ended up in trouble was me.”—Leya, an immigrant who survived domestic abuse

Drawing on journalist Maurice Chammah’s series on the epic story of music in American prisons, @themarshallproject.org's one-night event "Redemption Songs Live" explores how genres from the blues to soul to rap have offered paths to rehabilitation, resistance, and hope for people behind bars.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is taking concrete steps on community safety and accountability by expanding gun violence prevention services and appointing four experts in criminal prosecution, public defense, civil rights advocacy, and violence prevention to the Civilian Complaint Review Board.

“Their appointments, alongside the leadership of Chair Jennifer Jones Austin, should give all New Yorkers the confidence that police will be held to an appropriately high professional and ethical standard as they do the important work of keeping us safe.” Our full statement:

At the Annual Legislative Conference, Vera co-hosted a roundtable discussion about safety and justice with the @cbc.house.gov Foundation. Joined by advocates, leaders, and lawmakers, we discussed what it truly takes to keep our communities safe: community-led strategies that prevent crime.

Though the Trump administration claims it is not arresting U.S. citizens by mistake or making indiscriminate stops, the exact opposite is unfolding and at a large scale: 506 U.S. citizens have been detained since January 2025.

In New Orleans, where city budget cuts are inevitable, residents remain united in one thing: the city should direct its dollars toward programs that directly support the community and keep people safe, like affordable housing and youth services.

“Not every child deserves asylum, but every child deserves to be heard.”—Robert Carey, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement during the Obama administration

In #Arizona, a one-year-old baby appeared without a lawyer to file an asylum application. In #Texas, a seven-year-old agreed to voluntarily leave the country. In 55 percent of nearly 50,000 immigration cases closed by August, unaccompanied minors faced deportation without legal representation.

Flock cameras were sold to us as a safety measure—instead they’ve been tools for stalking and harassment. Vera President Insha Rahman joined @themaxburns.bsky.social and @lincolnsquare.media to discuss how surveillance tech betrays public trust and makes us less safe:

Defunding legal aid groups, leaving separated families without resources, and targeting refugee and humanitarian status: The Trump administration has systematically eroded due process, attacking not just our communities, but also the people committed to ensuring their safety.

Conditions in the jails on Rikers Island are dangerous and inhumane—far past the point of repair. Too many people leave Rikers more unstable than when they came in, which makes us all less safe. We encourage New York City’s effort to close Rikers on the fastest timeline possible.

“When a federal agency is given extraordinary resources and power without meaningful accountability, the result is fear, cruelty, and chaos.”—Vera’s Shayna Kessler

Last night, an ICE officer shot and injured a man sitting in a car in New York City. There was a five-year-old child in the same car. The officer fired at least seven bullets. This is yet another terrifying failure of public safety.

The U.S. immigration court system is intended to provide a fair judicial process, yet the Trump administration’s latest plan does the opposite: assigning Department of Health and Human Services attorneys to represent unaccompanied migrant children in immigration court.

As crime rates plummet nationally—a trend experts attribute to comprehensive safety investments—Republicans continue to bash Democrats for being "soft on crime." But voters see right through it. The political reign of "tough on crime" is coming to an end.

In North Carolina, Republicans have spent $18.5 million in ads attacking Democrat Roy Cooper over lawlessness and violence. But it’s falling flat — polls show Cooper consistently leading his Republican opponent, Michael Whatley.