Vera Institute of Justice

Mustafa Ali-Smith was a program associate on the Motion for Justice Campaign under Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative, where he worked with elected prosecutors across the country to end mass incarceration by diverting people from the criminal legal system, addressing racial disparities, and making their offices more accountable to the communities they serve.

Before joining Vera in 2021, Mustafa worked with legal teams at Juvenile Law Center advocating for harm reduction and the rights of youth in the child welfare and justice system. Mustafa’s background is in community organizing, and he worked alongside the NAACP and grassroots organizations to drive change in local communities.

Mustafa also works with city government in Knoxville, Tennessee, to develop, implement, and evaluate violence interruption and prevention programs.

Mustafa holds a BS in public administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and an MA from the University of Pennsylvania with concentrations in criminal justice, education, and race.