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Real safety starts with a justice system that works for everyone

At Vera, we believe lasting and durable public safety is not achievable until every community—especially those most harmed by the criminal justice system—can thrive. This includes Black and other communities of color that have long faced the greatest harms from overpolicing and excessive prosecution. That’s why we partner with prosecutors to increase equity, shrink the system by diverting cases that are better handled by solutions other than the criminal justice system, and build strategies that focus on real safety and stronger communities.

Prosecutors are the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system: they influence who gets charged, what charges are brought, whether bail is set, how long sentences are, and whether communities are met with punishment or support. A growing community of prosecutors is using discretion not to reflexively inflict punishment in the name of public safety but to repair and prevent harm. By working alongside communities, limiting unnecessary justice system contact, and advancing racial equity, Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative is building the case that safety, accountability, and justice go hand in hand.

Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative helps prosecutors turn bold ideas into everyday action. We guide prosecutors with three clear commitments:

• Reduce excessive and unnecessary justice system involvement.
• Advance racial equity.
• Center the voices of directly impacted communities.

We help district attorney’s offices develop and implement data-driven, community-centered polices that deliver safety, accountability, and justice without overreliance on charging, convicting, and incarceration.

A broken status quo and a backlash against progress

The traditional model of prosecution—charging as many cases as possible and seeking long sentences—hasn’t made us safer. It’s fueled mass incarceration, widened racial disparities, and harmed families and communities. More prosecutors are pursuing targeted, data- and equity-driven reforms that deliver justice and safety, but some are under attack for moving away from failed “tough-on-crime” tactics—even though research shows those tactics don’t make our communities safer.

Our approach: Grounded in data. Powered by community.

Reshaping Prosecution supports prosecutors through technical assistance partnerships. We combine quantitative data analysis, learnings from across the criminal justice field, and community input to redesign what prosecution can look like. Through our engagements, we:

• Analyze internal case management data to identify charging patterns, racial disparities, and opportunities for policy reform.
• Conduct qualitative research, including focus groups and surveys, to amplify the perspectives of those most impacted by the criminal justice system.
• Identify policies that promote thriving and safe communities with a focus on community-based solutions outside of prosecution—such as diversion programs.
• Support implementation and sustainability through staff training, peer learning, and continued data collection and analysis.
• Share results with the community so that progress is visible and measurable.

We’ve partnered with more than 25 prosecutors’ offices in 17 states, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and Vermont.

All of Vera’s partners made meaningful progress in harnessing their data for reform and increasing office transparency—including a groundbreaking policy in Ramsey County, Minnesota, to reduce non–public-safety traffic stops, which was later also adopted in Chittenden County, Vermont.

Concrete policies that make a difference

Our policy recommendations are evidence-based, equity-focused, and tailored to local contexts. We urge prosecutors to:

• Decline cases stemming from non–public-safety traffic stops, a practice that disproportionately impacts people of color.
• Pilot restorative justice programs that promote accountability, center the needs of survivors, and increase racial equity by targeting charges disproportionately brought against people of color and other marginalized communities.
• Divert a greater proportion of cases pre-charge, while maximizing the use of community-based programs that address people’s unmet needs around substance use, mental health, and housing.
• Remove or reduce barriers to entry to diversion programs and other charging and sentencing alternatives, such as blanket exclusions based on prior criminal history, charge-type, or ability to pay program fees.

Change is happening, and it’s working. We’re helping prosecutors across the country take real steps to reduce harm and deliver lasting safety—for everyone.