The United States is the epicenter of mass incarceration. It’s time to end that.

The United States is home to less than 5 percent of the world’s population, yet nearly 16 percent of all incarcerated people—roughly two million people—are held in our jails and prisons. Our incarceration rate is among the highest in the world. Vera is working to end the system of mass incarceration.

Vera brings together experts, activists, and policymakers to end mass incarceration. We provide trusted data and research illustrating the harms of mass incarceration, help change state and local laws, and work with prosecutors to reduce incarceration and racial disparities. Together, with allies from across the political spectrum and around the country, we can end mass incarceration, build safer communities, and affirm human dignity.

Learn more about the history of mass incarceration and how the unjust system creates vast racial disparities: