Vera Action

@veraaction.bsky.social

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Fighting to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.

Pie chart from a May 2025 national survey commissioned by Vera Action that shows how a "serious about safety" approach beats a "tough on crime" approach by 20 points among voters.
Pie chart from a May 2025 national survey commissioned by Vera Action that shows how a "serious about safety" approach beats a "tough on crime" approach by 20 points among voters.
CNN article headline: "Trump's crime crackdown is also his midterm sales pitch"
Graphic showing that 54% of New York voters favor closing Rikers Island and the transition to four borough-based jails, whereas only 36% prefer keeping Rikers open, per a December 2024 poll by Vera Action and Lake Research Partners.
Pie chart: 60% of voters prefer a "serious about safety" approach to crime whereas only 40% prefer a "tough on crime" approach.
Pie chart: 64% of Virginia voters prefer a "serious about safety" approach to crime whereas only 35% prefer a "tough on crime" approach.
Join us on Thursday, August 7 at 2:15pm CT in room 292 of the conference center for a panel conversation—Safety and Justice as a Winning Democratic Strategy: From Recent Electoral Victories Across the Country, What’s Actually Working. Moderated by Insha Rahman and joined by an incredible set of speakers and experts: Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (CA-12), principal of ASO Communications Anat Shenker-Osorio, and journalist Richard A. Fowler.
Image of Insha Rahman, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, and Mayor Brandon Johnson speaking on a panel.
Bar chart showing that a plurality of New York voters support the proposal to take the burden off police officers to solve every social problem so they can focus on serious crimes.
Quote from Zohran Mamdani: “We need to actually deliver public safety. We need to aggressively pursue evidence-based solutions . . . because what New Yorkers want—they want accountability. They want safety. They also want justice. These are things we can deliver together if we have a mayor that is actually focused on them.”
Pie chart: 75% of New York voters prefer a "serious about safety" approach to crime whereas only 25% prefer a "tough on crime" approach.
72% of voters believe that increasing access to mental health care would help a lot to improve community safety. Only 38% think the same is true for having longer prison sentences.
Bar chart from our polling that shows how when responding to "defund the police" accusations from the right, Democrats win with a "serious about safety" message and lose with a "tough on crime" message.
Bar graph showing how 89% of voters are at least somewhat supportive of the federal government's role in investing in and supporting local programs and services that work with survivors of crime.
But Larry needs your help to continue these critical reforms. In a third term, Larry will: Expand Alternatives to Prosecution End Overly Punitive Sentences Continue the Effort to End Money Bail and Expand Pre-Trial Release Push For Public Health Solutions to Gun Violence Keep Holding Those with Power Accountable
Demonstrators holding up signs that say "Say YES to: Jobs, Opportunity, Community Reinvestment" outside a town hall event.
Los Angeles Daily News Opinion headline: Crime prevention means investing in more than just police departments
USA Today Opinion headline: "I worked for this office under the DOJ. Trump's cuts will make you less safe."
Headline from Michigan Advance: Police officials applaud lawmakers as they progress public safety and violence prevention package
Bar chart depicting high voter support for policies aimed at increasing police accountability and trust between police and the communities they serve.
“Vera might be the first organization to lose its federal funding, but I am certain we will not be the last in the criminal justice field . . . . It leads us to believe that the only reason our funding was cut is that we have been singularly vocal in our opposition to this administration’s actions.” -Insha Rahman, Vice President of Advocacy & Partnerships, Vera Institute of Justice
Americans overwhelmingly agree: 80% support expanded presidential commutations, with near-identical backing from both political camps, including 84% of Harris supporters and 80% of Trump's backers. This consensus extends across criminal justice reform, where 81% of Americans favor reforms. Sentence reductions and eliminating mandatory minimums also share strong bipartisan support.
As a former prosecutor and a judge, I know we need Supreme Court justices who understand what it takes to keep communities safe, who are impartial and fair, who will use common sense, and who won’t politicize the constitution to undermine our most basic rights. I also believe people in Wisconsin deserve to feel safe as they go about their lives - in their homes, driving down the road, or walking to the grocery store. My top priority in making decisions is always to make our communities safer.
Don't fall for the "subway crime" bogeyman.
POLITICO headline: Trump floats sending Americans to foreign prisons. Civil rights groups say that would be illegal.
90% of voters believe that increasing access to mental health care would help increase safety in communities.
COURIER headline: Liz Roberts: Congress and the President Must Not Cut Funding for Victims and Survivors of Violence
Quote from Denver Mayor Mike Johnston: “There is no tradeoff between welcoming immigrants and maintaining public safety for all members of the Denver community. We take seriously the safety of all who call Denver home.”
WSJ headline: Trump to begin large-scale deportations Tuesday.
Collage of positive news headlines about declining crime rates with the caption: "Investing in our communities is working to advance safety. We won't stop now."
Vox article: The president’s pardon power is a double-edged sword. Here’s how to reform it for good. Presidents routinely abuse the pardon, but Biden’s record-setting commutations underscore why reforms should be narrow.
Reform delivers both safety and justice. Since Illinois eliminated cash bail in 2023, Chicago violent crime stayed the same, people in Cook County Jail dropped 12%, and families saved $46 million in bail.