Vera Institute of Justice

We were founded in 1961 by Herb Sturz and Louis Schweitzer as a national non-profit. We partner with government and civic leaders to improve justice systems. We started by advocating for alternatives to money bail in New York City. Today, we work to end mass incarceration, address racial disparities, and transform criminal justice and immigration systems. We research, test, and scale evidence-based solutions nationwide.

Our main goals are to stop the criminalization of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. We also aim to drastically reduce the use of jails, prisons, and detention centers. We work to center dignity, minimize the harms of justice system involvement, and invest in communities by prioritizing well-being. Our activities include federal, state, and local advocacy, communications campaigns, data analysis, research, and lobbying to reform laws and policies. Our programs include Redefining Public Safety, the Incarceration and Inequality Project, and Opening Doors and Unlocking Potential. We provide technical assistance to partners to advance these goals.

Our work has found that Black people are twice as likely to be arrested as white people. Immigrants with legal representation are 10 times more likely to establish their right to remain in the U.S. Over 40,000 people in prison have gained access to college education through Second Chance Pell Programs, and the U.S. spends twice as much on law and order as it does on social welfare.

Our mission is to end the criminalization and mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty. We envision safe, healthy, empowered communities and a fair, accountable justice system. This means a society that respects everyone’s dignity and safeguards justice for all.

Our core priorities include eliminating money bail, ending mass incarceration, improving conditions for people in prison, and ensuring legal representation for all immigrants facing deportation. We are explicitly committed to racial justice and emphasize equity and diversity across all races, genders, sexualities, and abilities. Our staff are expected to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, and equity.

The Vera Institute of Justice has more than 200 staff members. The team sees itself as bold, innovative, and urgent agents of change within the criminal justice and immigration systems. There’s a strong commitment to Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI). This involves ongoing efforts to identify inequities, develop policies, and advance antiracist principles internally, supported by an annual racial diversity report. The work environment values diversity and encourages applications from people directly impacted by the criminal justice and immigration systems.

Employees work in casual to business-casual attire. Vera operates from four offices in Brooklyn (headquarters), New Orleans, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, with a hybrid work schedule common across roles. Workspaces are designed to be people-centered, inclusive, and accessible, which helps foster collaboration and bold thinking. For example, the Brooklyn office features artwork by formerly incarcerated artists and those dedicated to social justice. In 2024, Vera was certified as a Great Place to Work®, with 73 percent of surveyed employees agreeing it is a great place to work.

We offer various employee benefits, including above-market-rate compensation, merit pay, and a compensation range for interns. Employees receive generous paid time off, including sabbaticals and up to 12 weeks of Paid Family and Medical Leave after six months.

Our benefits package includes a comprehensive health insurance plan with assisted reproductive technology coverage. We also offer an employer-funded retirement plan with financial advisory services and student loan repayment benefits. We provide up to $2,000 annually for education costs and fees relevant to our work.

Our wellness initiatives include on-site mindfulness meditation sessions, flexible time and work schedules, an employee assistance program, and a gym reimbursement program. For professional development, we offer manager and individual contributor training, discretionary funds for leadership, racial equity, and project amplification, $1,000 publication incentive awards, expert-led training sessions, an in-house Learning Management System (LearnUpon), and monthly peer learning sessions.