Vera Institute of Justice

Meghan Assioun is the associate director of Vera's Redefining Public Safety (RPS) initiative. In her role, Meghan leads RPS’s efforts to build government infrastructure that foregrounds health and compassion, partnering with local and state policymakers and practitioners to enact civilian-led, community-centered public safety ecosystems.

Before joining Vera in 2024, Meghan worked as a senior director at United Way, where she advanced the design and implementation of public safety initiatives. Her work led to the expansion of several programs under the Atlas Initiative, including the launch of a community violence intervention pilot.

In addition to her work at Vera, Meghan is deeply involved in her community, volunteering with organizations such as the New York City Anti-Violence Coalition.

Meghan holds a BA in criminology and psychology from the University of California, Irvine and an MA in forensic psychology from New York University.