Vera Institute Partners with First of 10 New Prosecutors’ Offices to Reduce Racial Disparities in Prosecution by 20 Percent; Others Invited to Apply to Reshaping Prosecution Program

Prosecutors’ offices in Missouri and Virginia join Vera Institute of Justice pilot sites in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota Prosecutors’ offices across the country are encouraged to apply to the Reshaping Prosecution Program for data analysis, tools, and technical assistance offered through the Motion for Justice initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 6, 2021

Media Contact: Maya Brady, maya.brady@berlinrosen.com, 916-203-0345

Washington, DC – Today, the Vera Institute of Justice announced partnerships with the offices of Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church Parisa Dehghani-Tafti and St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to reduce racial disparities in their criminal legal systems by at least 20 percent. The Vera Institute of Justice will provide assistance with data analysis, staff training, community engagement, and policy support to expand the offices’ understanding of the criminal legal system’s history of racial injustice and guide them on a path toward a more equitable future.

“As a former prosecutor, I know the unique and immense power that prosecutors wield. They can either perpetuate the injustices of the criminal legal system or work to rectify them,” said Jami Hodge, the Director of Reshaping Prosecution at the Vera Institute of Justice. “Only when local prosecutors seek to understand the historical and current harm of criminal legal policies and practices on Black people and other marginalized communities will they be ready to enact bold, lasting change.”

The partnerships are part of the Vera Institute of Justice’s national Motion for Justice initiative, which creates pathways for prosecutors to bridge the gap between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to create lasting policies and practices that tackle the racial injustices deeply rooted in the criminal legal system. As part of this initiative, prosecutors have an opportunity to partner with a community-based organization to disrupt and rectify the decisions and policies that have historically targeted and harmed marginalized people and inspire others across the country to adopt similar measures to address the racial inequity inherent in the criminal legal system.

Current partners include the offices of Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins in Massachusetts; Ingham County Prosecutor Carol Siemon in Michigan; and Ramsey County Attorney John Choi in Minnesota.

The offices of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney and Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church are the first of up to 10 prosecutors' offices in jurisdictions across the country that are invited to partner with the Vera Institute of Justice as part of the Motion for Justice initiative.

“It’s an honor and privilege to work with the Vera Institute of Justice on this important initiative,” said Kim Gardner, Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis. “We look forward to our continued work with Vera to address the racial disparities in our justice system, and create a system that is just for all.”

“My office has a responsibility to work with our most impacted community members to understand the full extent of the harm caused by prosecutorial policies and practices,” said Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church. “This exciting partnership with The Vera Institute will help address the historic impact of harmful policies on Black communities, and take us further in our efforts to transform the criminal legal system so that it works toward justice, instead of punishment.”

The office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church is also partnering with Offender Aid and Restoration, a community-based nonprofit focused on building thriving communities, as part of the Motion for Justice initiative.

The Vera Institute of Justice will provide the prosecutors’ offices with four kinds of support:

  1. policy and strategy recommendations;

  2. data on the disparate impact of prosecution practices on Black people and other marginalized communities;

  3. educational materials and programming designed and delivered in partnership with people from communities most impacted by the criminal legal system; and

  4. financial support to a community-based organization that partners with the prosecutors to implement racially equitable policies and practices.

TO APPLY: Prosecutors and staff members who are interested in actively working to reduce disproportionate harm on Black people and other marginalized communities can apply at https://motionforjustice.vera....

The announcement comes one month after the Vera Institute of Justice called upon U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to make a financial investment in and commitment to supporting progressive prosecutors in their work to address the racial disparities inherent in the criminal legal system. The letter included a clear and urgent request for U.S. Department of Justice leadership to meet with local prosecutors to discuss this work, the challenges they face, and how the department can and must engage.

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and community organizers 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.

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