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Vera Institute of Justice |
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New York, United States of America
Working closely with leaders in government and civil society to improve the services people rely on for safety and justice
The Vera Institute of Justice combines expertise in research, demonstration projects, and technical assistance to help leaders in government and civil society improve the systems people rely on for justice and safety.
Vera is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit center for justice policy and practice, with permanent offices in New York City and Washington, DC. Our projects and reform initiatives, typically conducted in partnership with local, state, or national officials, are located across the United States and around the world.
Founded in 1961, the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City studies social problems and current responses, develops innovative programs that often grow into lasting organizations, and provides practical advice to leaders in the public and private sectors around the world. Vera is directed by Michael Jacobson who joined the institute in January 2005.
Today, Vera operates more than two dozen projects that each aim to reveal more about the meaning of justice while making a difference in people’s lives. They include projects to improve relations between police and members of immigrant communities, reduce violence against women, develop family-based responses to juvenile delinquency and substance abuse, assess and improve legal services for the poor, and help men in jail and prison prepare to return home.
Vera’s work began more than 45 years ago with one small experiment a project to remedy the injustice of a bail system that discriminated against poor people. Working closely with New York City's criminal justice leaders, Vera explored the bail system, developed an alternative, and rigorously tested it. Within a few years, Vera had proven that people who have strong ties to their communities but who cannot afford bail can be safely released before trial.
That empirical evidence changed forever how judges make release decisions in criminal courts around the world. Vera remains committed to providing knowledge and services that meet local needs and conditions but that also draw on and contribute to global conversations about how to make the administration of justice more fair, humane, and effective.
Learn more about Vera, its methods, and its work on the Institute’s web site.
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Vera Fellowship in Justice Research and Innovation:
Vera is helping reformers in China prevent the use of torture in police interrogations, reduce the number of juveniles in detention, and make the public criminal defense system more accessible and effective, by hosting the Vera Fellowship in Justice Research and Innovation. The Fellowship is designed to help these reformers develop innovations that are based in evidence-based practice and tested on the ground to improve the justice system. Vera Fellows work jointly with Vera staff in developing pilot program and evaluation designs to be implemented in China, as well as visit Vera demonstration projects, spin-offs, and relevant agencies in the U.S. Justice System. Learn more about that work.
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