Vera Institute of Justice

Overview

This 1972 report is an early evaluation of Vera's Manhattan Bowery Project. Vera created the Manhattan Bowery Corporation in 1967 to put alcoholics in treatment instead of jail. The centerpiece was a 48-bed detoxification facility in a former New York City Men's Shelter, just off the Bowery. It was one of the first alcoholism treatment centers in the United States. Every day, two-person rescue teams, consisting of a recovering alcoholic and a plainclothes police officer, patrolled the Bowery in unmarked cars. They offered people who appeared to be intoxicated an opportunity to come to the project, receive medical care, and dry out. In addition, clients had an opportunity to talk with a social worker about rehabilitation programs. These initial efforts have lasted and grown. Today, the Manhattan Bowery Corporation, now called Project Renewal, provides services to more than 20,000 alcohol-addicted and homeless women and men every year.—from Vera's 35-year report