Insha Rahman to Serve as Next President and Director of Vera Institute of Justice and Vera Action
New York, NY, March 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vera Institute of Justice (“Vera”) and Vera Action announced today that Insha Rahman, a leading political strategist and criminal justice expert, will serve as president and director of both organizations. It is a historic moment for Vera and Vera Action, as Rahman is the first woman, immigrant, and Muslim to lead them. Rahman is the sixth leader of Vera in its 65-year history.
“I grew up in a society where dignity and equal justice for all was not a given,” said Rahman. “As a proud immigrant to this country, I believe in the promise of America and the imperative to make our institutions reflect the values we hold dear. As leadership in Washington, DC, advances an authoritarian agenda under the guise of crime control, scapegoating immigrants and the most marginalized among us, I’m humbled to take the helm of Vera and continue to fight for real solutions that deliver more safety and justice.”
As President Trump’s Department of Justice cut $820 million in funding for community violence intervention, victim services, and youth and criminal justice reform programs, Rahman organized nonprofit and community partners to file a class action lawsuit challenging the administration’s arbitrary and capricious cuts. She is the architect of A New Federal Paradigm for Safety, Accountability, and Justice, and regularly partners with advocates, experts, and lawmakers from across the political spectrum.
“In a nation where many think of race as synonymous with crime, Insha understands that the fight for justice is central to this nation’s struggle for racial equality,” said Khalil Gibran Muhammad, chair of the Board of Trustees at the Vera Institute of Justice and a historian at Princeton University. “Her stewardship of Vera as one of the leading organizations on criminal justice and immigration reform comes at an existential moment for our democracy.”
After beginning her legal career as a public defender at The Bronx Defenders, Insha led Vera’s work in New York, including advocating for the passage of a historic bail reform law and serving as staff on a blue-ribbon commission to close the Rikers Island jail complex. In 2020, Insha became Vera’s vice president for Advocacy and Partnerships and the director of Vera Action, a sister 501(c)(4) organization.
“From leading groundbreaking public opinion research and messaging to tackling the politics of crime to providing guidance on criminal justice and public safety to lawmakers and elected leaders, Insha is an expert on both policy and politics,” said Bari Mattes, inaugural chair of the Board of Trustees of Vera Action and trustee of the Vera Institute of Justice. “Under Insha’s leadership, Vera Action has quickly grown in influence and clout—on the Hill and in statehouses across the country.”
"Insha has a highly desirable and quite uncommon combination of leadership attributes that will enable Vera and Vera Action to thrive in this complicated moment," said Nicholas Turner, outgoing president and director of the Vera Institute of Justice and president of Vera Action. "She has vision, integrity, courage, next-level smarts, humility, and a work ethic that reflects deep commitment—all of which have propelled Vera and Vera Action to be who we are today. I leave these treasured institutions knowing they are in her very capable hands, and I am excited to see where Insha takes them."
Widely recognized for her expertise, Rahman has been featured as an authority in national outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, and Politico, and been a featured speaker at events hosted by Masters of Scale, Global Citizen, Democracy Alliance, the Federalist Society, U.S. Conference of Mayors, CPAC, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, among others. Rahman is a member of the Council on Criminal Justice, the advisory board for the Aspen Institute’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative, and previously served on the boards of the New York Civil Liberties Union, Dignity & Power Now, and the Brooklyn Community Bail Fund (now the Envision Freedom Fund).
A longtime New Yorker, Rahman lives in Brooklyn. She holds a BA in Africana Studies from Vassar College and a JD from the City University of New York School of Law.
About the Vera Institute of Justice: The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal justice and immigration systems until they’re fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn’t determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. Vera’s headquarters is in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles. For more information, visit vera.org.
About Vera Action: Vera Action is an independent 501(c)(4) organization and the advocacy partner of the Vera Institute of Justice. At Vera Action, we harness the power of advocacy, lobbying, and political strategy to end mass incarceration, protect immigrants’ rights, restore dignity to people behind bars, and build safe and thriving communities.
Michael Czaczkes Vera Institute of Justice media@vera.org
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
