On September 24, 2012 Vera held its seventh annual benefit, honoring Rodney O. Martin, Jr., CEO of ING U.S. as corporate honoree, and Vera Trustee Richard G. Dudley, Jr., MD as public service honoree.
The theme of the evening, "Investing in Justice," highlighted Vera's approach toward cost-effective justice system reforms that save taxpayers money while ensuring greater public safety. This idea is captured in the video through the work of Vera's Cost-Benefit Analysis Unit, The Guardianship Project, and the Center for Economic Employment, a Vera spinoff.
Lifting a nearly 30-year ban on Pell Grants for people who are incarcerated, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act, which restores their Pell Grant eligibility starting in 2023, allowing them to affordably pursue postsecondary education in prison. The Second Chance Pell (SCP) Experiment has highlighted the success of prison education program ...
A correctional officer watches as people sit for lunch at the Moriah Shock Incarceration Correctional Facility in Mineville, New York. Photo by AP Photo/Mike Groll. Last month, New York closed six upstate prisons, each of which had been operating well under capacity. Collectively, the now-closed facilities filled just 43.7 percent of their availabl ...
How Public Housing Authorities Across the Country Are Expanding Access for People with Conviction Histories
People who were formerly incarcerated are 10 times more likely than the general public to be unhoused. Access to stable and affordable housing substantially increases the likelihood that a person returning home from prison or jail will be able to receive support from their family, find and retain employment, rebuild supportive social networks, and ...