By November 3, 2020, hundreds of millions voters will weigh in on a range of critical federal, state, and local issues, including criminal justice reform and immigration. And it is clear that justice is on the minds of many. The 2020 election comes in the midst of a pandemic that has disproportionately killed people of color and hurt them—physically and economically—far worse than white people. The explosion of COVID-19 cases in prisons and jails has added to the suffering of people behind bars. And the police killings of unarmed Black Americans—and the subsequent protests occurring across the United States—have led to unprecedented public outrage and attention. People are demanding and fighting for policies that will dismantle and remedy the harms caused by centuries of systemic racism and injustice.
Watch this page for more information about the justice issues highlighted in this fall’s election, and tell us which issues are important to you. Learn more about Vera's federal, state, and local policy priorities by exploring the spotlights below, or by visiting our Target 2020 blog series.
JUSTICE ISSUES ON FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL BALLOTS
Vera has produced groundbreaking research and created new models to achieve fairer and more equitable systems, and all our recommendations—for adopting these principles in the party platforms, electing reform-minded leaders, and ensuring budgets reflect the values of local communities—are rooted in this work. By adopting the following principles as part of their platforms or by electing forward-thinking officials, America’s political parties can redouble their commitments to true justice and help set the nation on a course to achieve that goal.
Series: Election 2020
COVID-19
Public health is a criminal justice issue
Series: Election 2020
Policing
Systemic reform of American policing
Series: Election 2020
Due Process for Immigrants
No one should be denied due process
Series: Election 2020
Postsecondary Education in Prison
Postsecondary education opportunities for incarcerated people
Series: Election 2020
Rural Jails
Eliminating rural jail funding; investing in communities
Series: Election 2020
Conditions of Confinement
Transforming prison culture and climate
Series: Election 2020
Money Injustice
Series: Election 2020
Prosecution
Electing reform-minded prosecutors
Series: Election 2020
Budget Justice
"Budgets are moral documents"
Series: Election 2020
Target 2020
Justice Solutions for a New Decade
Series: Election 2020
Vera's 2020 Justice Platform
Justice Recommendations for Progress