Affirm fundamental human rights and dignity

The experience of incarceration is harsh punishment in and of itself. But millions of people—95 percent of whom will eventually be released—endure brutal conditions that harm their chances to thrive when they come home.

Our punishing model of incarceration isn’t working.

Prisons and jails must be healthy places to live and work, where people are given opportunities for education, treatment, and training that set them up for success. Vera works to ensure people behind bars are treated with dignity and given opportunities for growth.