Vera Institute of Justice

Cindy Reed is the director of Vera’s Writing Lab in the communications and external affairs department, and she supports authors across Vera with writing coaching, mentoring, and skills building to improve Vera’s communications reach and audience engagement. In this role, she works across programs and initiatives to drive narrative change and advance Vera’s mission. She was previously Vera’s editorial strategy director.

Before joining Vera in 2017, Cindy acted as a freelance writer and editor specializing in public policy and criminal legal system topics, working for clients including Arnold Ventures, the Institute for Justice and Opportunity at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and New York University’s Center on the Administration of Criminal Law. She began her career as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch.

Cindy holds a BA in international relations and a JD from the University of Minnesota.