Annie Comes Home: Fight scare tactics with Vera

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Fight scare tactics with Vera

Pamela,

If Vera's more than 60 years of criminal justice reform work has taught us anything, it's this: more policing, harsher punishment, and continued mass incarceration do not make our communities safer.

But by reducing the number of people held in prisons and jails, we can shrink the overall footprint of the carceral system—and invest in the things our communities actually need to improve safety.

Three ways to improve public safety and reduce incarceration:

1. End money bail so that people are no longer stuck behind bars simply because they cannot afford to pay their way out.

2. Reform excessive sentencing practices that destroy lives, fail to deter crime, and waste billions in tax dollars.

3. Address the underlying causes of crime by investing in community-based solutions that improve public safety, like crisis response services and restorative justice programs.

Pamela, large-scale investment in these kinds of community-based solutions factor into the remarkable drop in crime rates the country has seen since 2023.

Take Boston, which ended 2024 with its lowest murder count since the 1950s. Mayor Michelle Wu credits the crime decline to a whole-of-government approach that involves coordination between public health entities, community groups, and law enforcement—not only responding to violence but also tackling what drives it.

Vera is committed to advancing policies that make us safer and working with city, state, and community leaders to create a better future.

Your gift today will provide an important boost to our work to end mass incarceration and support safe, thriving communities. Make your tax-deductible donation today.

Onward,
Vera Institute of Justice