Dear Pamela, Over the last 12 years, I have had the singular privilege of leading the Vera Institute of Justice, an organization whose threshold I first crossed 30 years ago as a summer intern. And today, I am announcing my decision to step down as Vera's president and director in May of 2026.
The field of criminal justice reform looks vastly different today from the day I started in this role in 2013. Far fewer people are held in U.S. prisons and jails. In states around the country, we have worked together with corrections leaders and incarcerated people to improve prison conditions. A national initiative that Vera leads is working to secure more legal representation for immigrants facing deportation. Hundreds of thousands of incarcerated learners are now eligible to access postsecondary education. A new generation of prosecutors is working to advance safety, accountability, and justice. We have seen how our collective power has created meaningful impact.
Vera has also seen remarkable changes. We have grown and launched dozens of initiatives and programs to reach national scale and impact. We have built more power and momentum for reform, from establishing Vera Action, an independent 501(c)(4) organization, to expanding Vera's transformative policy advocacy, to launching and spinning off more than six bodies of work to become standalone, independent organizations in the field.
For more than 60 years, Vera has been an innovator in criminal justice reform. Today, we have by necessity held strong as a field anchor and defender, fighting for our collective work, our values, and the rule of law by leading a class action lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's illegal termination of federal public safety grants. We are reminded that forward progress is always met by the forces of regression.
I could not be prouder of what we have accomplished together and how we have done it. There are challenges ahead, but I am confident that Vera is more ready than ever to continue the fight for true safety and justice. Vera's Board of Trustees, led by Professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad, has initiated a process for the selection of the Vera Institute of Justice and Vera Action's next president and director. I look forward to supporting our new leader as they embark on their journey.
There is much work to do. But for now, let me say: thank you. In solidarity,
Nick |
—
Nick Turner
President and Director
Vera Institute of Justice |
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