Read our latest release: Ten Takeaways on How Crime Impacts Elections

End mass incarceration.
Advocate for immigrants.
Build safe communities.

At Vera Action, we fight to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, and build safe and thriving communities. Alongside organizers and advocates, government leaders, and elected officials across the political aisle, we work to enact transformative policy change for safety and justice at the local, state, and federal levels.

Our Work

Messaging Justice

Vera Action produces public opinion research to shape a national conversation about safety and justice—that we can have both and there is no false choice between one or the other. We use tested messages and polling in our issue advocacy and campaigns to counter the opposition’s scare tactics in the media and the political arena.

State and Local Advocacy

Vera Action harnesses decades of expertise in criminal legal and immigration reform to bring our unique assets of data, evidence, and solutions to the policy arena. We work in over 20 statehouses and city and county legislatures across the country on campaigns for pretrial justice, ending unjust fines and fees, advancing the right to counsel for immigrants, winning budget investments in community-driven safety, and more.

Federal Policy

Vera Action advocates in Congress and the administration to impact federal levers for justice reform—including appropriations, executive action, and federal legislation. In coalition with other advocates, we lead or are a part of federal campaigns to reinstate Pell grants for college in prison, win the right to counsel for immigrants, and advance sentencing reform, jail and prison oversight, and police accountability.

Issues

Our sister organization, Vera Institute of Justice, and other partners have developed research and solutions to help understand, explain, and transform the criminal legal and immigration systems.

Who We Are

Board of Directors

headshot of Bari Mattes

Bari Mattes, Chair

headshot of James Cadogan

James Cadogan

headshot of John Savarese

John Savarese

headshot of Sarah Williams

Sarah Williams

headshot of Justin Tuck, Treasurer

Justin Tuck

Staff

headshot of Nick Turner

Nick Turner
President

headshot of Insha Rahman

Insha Rahman
Vice President

headshot of Adair Iacono

Adair Iacono
Secretary & General Counsel

headshot of Greg Klemm

Greg Klemm
Treasurer

Experts

headshot of Daniela Gilbert

Daniela Gilbert
Policing and Public Safety

headshot of Akhi Johnson

Akhi Johnson
Prosecutorial Reform

headshot of Insha Rahman

Insha Rahman
Bail and Pretrial Justice

headshot of Kica Matos

Kica Matos
Immigration

headshot of Ryan Shanahan

Ryan Shanahan
Dignity Behind Bars

headshot of Marta Nelson

Marta Nelson
Sentencing Reform

headshot of Jasmine Heiss

Jasmine Heiss
Rural Mass Incarceration

headshot of Jullian Harris-Calvin

Jullian Harris-Calvin
New York Justice Reform

headshot of Michelle Parris

Michelle Parris
California Justice Reform

headshot of Will Snowden

Will Snowden
Louisiana Justice Reform