Vera Institute of Justice

Belinda Wheeler works as a program manager with Vera’s Unlocking Potential initiative to help expand equitable access to quality postsecondary educational programming to people who are incarcerated. She leads Vera’s work with college and correctional accreditors around the country.

Before joining Vera, Belinda served as the founding director of Claflin University’s Pathways from Prison Program and director of the university’s Center for Social Justice. Claflin University, a U.S. Department of Education Second Chance Pell Experimental Site, is one of a handful of historically Black colleges and universities in the higher education in prison space.

In addition to her work at Vera, Belinda is committed to helping other countries expand their educational programming to underserved populations in prison.

Originally from Queensland, Australia, Belinda holds a BA in English from Purdue University, an MA in English from Indiana University, and a PhD from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.