This week, the Biden administration announced a series of actions that take steps toward reform of the criminal legal system, including expanding access to housing and educational opportunities. Vera Institute of Justice President Nicholas Turner issued the following statement:

“This is a crucial step forward in transforming our approach to justice in this country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is taking an important step to increase access and inclusivity to federally funded housing for formerly incarcerated people. The expansion of the U.S. Department of Education’s Second Chance Pell Initiative to 73 new colleges and the introduction of policies to help incarcerated students get out of loan default will remove significant barriers to accessing postsecondary education in prison.

Lastly, I commend the addition of two new fellows, including Vera’s own John Bae, to the Department of Justice’s Second Chance Visiting Fellowship Program. Access to stable housing and educational opportunities are vital and provide essential support to help reduce recidivism and disrupt mass incarceration.

The White House has taken an important first step, and now Congress must do its part and enact permanent reforms that ensure our criminal legal system truly provides justice for all.”

###

About the Vera Institute of Justice
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and activists working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.