Vera Institute of Justice

Erin Ross is the program manager and lead of Vera’s Disrupting Gender-Based Violence project, aiming to reduce the harms caused by the criminal legal system against survivors of gender-based violence and their families, while also improving the pathways to safety for these individuals. Previously, she was a senior program associate with Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative.

Before joining Vera in 2020, Erin served as a prosecutor at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. She worked in the Domestic Violence Bureau handling cases from misdemeanors to serious violent felonies and sex offenses. Erin later worked in the Alternatives to Incarceration Bureau, where she advocated for the use of diversion over incarceration and educated prosecutors on the benefits of a restorative approach with a specific focus on violent and gender-based crimes.

Erin holds a BA in studio art with honors from Brandeis University and a JD from Hofstra University with a concentration in criminal law and procedure.