Vera Institute of Justice

Leah G. Pope joined Vera in 2016, and was a senior research fellow for the Policing Program. Her work at Vera included developing a policy brief on how criminal justice systems are thinking about and responding to the opiate epidemic, and implementing and evaluating a sentinel events review process at Rikers Island jail aimed at reducing incidents of suicide and self-harm. Prior to joining Vera, Leah was a research scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research where she worked on a process and outcome evaluation of Parachute NYC, a citywide approach to providing a “soft landing” for people experiencing a psychiatric crisis. Her broad research interests include the landscape of recovery and support for people with serious mental illness and alternative treatment options for young people with mental health issues and criminal justice involvement. Leah received an A.B. from Harvard College and a Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has been an adjunct professor at Teachers College and is currently on the faculty of the Bard Prison Initiative.