|
In 1961, philanthropist Louis Schweitzer and magazine editor Herb Sturz recognized the injustice of a bail system in New York City that locked people up simply for being poor. Working with criminal justice leaders, they explored the problem from many angles, setting their sights on developing a practical, innovative solution to NYC’s overreliance on cash bail. Within a few years, they had demonstrated that New Yorkers too poor to afford bail but with strong ties to their communities could be released and still show up for trial. The experiment—dubbed the Manhattan Bail Project—resulted in dozens of similar projects in cities around the country, and in landmark legislative reform of the federal bail system. It also led to the founding of the Vera Institute of Justice—named for Schweitzer's mother—to pursue similar initiatives. Today, Vera is working on more than five dozen projects that aim to unravel the impediments to human dignity and justice, while changing the lives of individuals. More than half a century after the Manhattan Bail Project, Vera embraces new tools—like the power of mining big data to unearth injustice, the potential of competitions to seek out the most motivated leaders, and the importance of communications to engage with our ideas. These are all part of an approach that has remained remarkably consistent, characterized by a disciplined focus on specific problems, partnering with public sector leaders willing to work with us to seek change, and a reliance on rigorous research every step of the way. Underlying this unique approach is an abiding optimism that even the most troubled systems can transform. The result: Justice systems that ensure fairness, promote safety, and strengthen communities.
|
