Vera Institute of Justice

Vera has been working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems for more than 60 years—and we won't stop until they’re fair for all. Because mass incarceration is wrong. Because immigration is under attack. Because poverty is not a crime. Because justice is for all. Because dignity is worth fighting for. Because we are Vera. Together, we can end mass incarceration. Join our movement: https://lnkd.in/eMtNC9pe #WeAreVera

Immigrants who come to the United States seeking opportunity deserve safety and justice, no matter where they were born. This #HispanicHeritageMonth and beyond, support immigrant communities and help keep families together: Tell Congress to support the #FairnessToFreedomAct, establish the right to a federally funded lawyer for every person facing deportation, and take steps towards a more just immigration. Take action now: https://lnkd.in/gp8JB6dP

Mass incarceration devastates people, families, and entire communities. Our new video series, Voices, centers the humanity of those most impacted by overcriminalization and mass incarceration. Watch their stories now: https://lnkd.in/eZ_rG_fz

Incarcerated people are rarely prioritized or factored into emergency planning, and they can often bear the brunt of major weather disasters. Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage across Western North Carolina. For the area’s incarcerated population, the torrential downpour severely damaged water, electrical, and facility utilities, led to a nearly week-long communications blackout with their loved ones, and unspeakable devastation. https://lnkd.in/eWFjabAZ

“We are still operating in a reality of mass incarceration, but we've made real progress, and that means that millions of people have avoided being touched by a system that largely harms them.” Vera Institute of Justice President, Nick Turner, joins host Josie Duffy Rice in the 4th episode of #The30YearProject. In the final episode of the series, we look at what it will take to build an America without the scourge of mass incarceration. ??Listen to #The30YearProject now on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ek9JNYhH

We all want to live in safe and stable neighborhoods. But instead of fixing homelessness, drug use, and crime, Prop 36 will make these issues worse by eliminating programs proven to turn people’s lives around and wasting millions of dollars on mass incarceration instead. Don’t fall for Prop 36’s false promises. Let's get California on the right track by voting #NoOnProp36 and investing our tax dollars in real solutions for health, safety, and stability instead. https://lnkd.in/eV4DYpYq

“The difference in outcomes with legal representation is staggering, and demonstrates that being in a removal proceeding is not a final outcome in itself. PAIFUP shows that we can advance family unity, due process, and economic prosperity by supporting people at risk of deportation with access to legal representation. The Vera Institute of Justice is proud to have played a role in supporting the early days of PAIFUP.” —Vera’s Fabiola Dávila On September 26, as the nation celebrated Welcoming Week, we joined Philadelphia’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Pennsylvania Immigration Coalition to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Pennsylvania Immigrant Family Unity Project (PAIFUP). Since its launch in 2019, PAIFUP has been meeting the needs of Philadelphians facing the devastating consequences of detention and deportation. Legal representation is essential in promoting fairness in our immigration system, and PAIFUP, Philadelphia’s first universal representation pilot program, is a crucial tool that keeps families safe and together. https://lnkd.in/evmbvQuU

“In 2023, 65 percent of the nearly 4 million individuals in immigration court facing deportation lacked legal counsel. And among those held in immigration detention, the situation is even more dire where 70 percent of those individuals, over the past five years, had to face the courts without representation.”—Santiago Mueckay, associate director of Vera’s Advancing Universal Representation initiative #ListenNow: Santiago recently joined Dr. Elizabeth Aranda and Dr. Lorena ávila on “Im/migrant Lives.” This important conversation unpacked detention and deportation, the importance of legal representation, and potential policy solutions that would ensure justice and equity within our immigration system. ?? Listen now: https://lnkd.in/eEnkbFtW

The impact of mass incarceration extends far beyond prison walls. In the third episode of #The30YearProject, we examine how system involvement can affect a person's family, neighborhood, and broader community. ?? Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. https://lnkd.in/egQFU_tu

“Putting people in jail, adding more bars to jails is not going to help eliminate the problem.” #LosAngeles resident Robyn Williams shares how an opportunity to participate in a diversion program allowed her to take a new path in life, away from a cycle of substance abuse and incarceration. Click the link below to hear her story. Right now, programs like the one Williams participated in are on the line. #Prop36 will strip $100 million annually in funding for drug treatment, housing, and school-based programs—the very things proven to prevent crime in the first place. That is why California must say #NoOnProp36: https://lnkd.in/eV4DYpYq