Insha Rahman

Insha Rahman is the Vice President of Advocacy and Partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice and the Director of Vera Action, its independent 501(c)(4) sister organization. She leads advocacy priorities and campaigns that focus on ending mass incarceration, protecting immigrant rights, ensuring dignity for people behind bars, and building safe and thriving communities. She also directs place-based initiatives in California, Louisiana, and New York. Rahman is nationally recognized as an authority on criminal legal reform. She has been featured in media including The New York Times, NPR, City and State, Mother Jones, PBS’s MetroFocus, and The Nation. Over the past year, she has led efforts to shape the conversation around safety, accountability, and justice, while countering outdated “tough-on-crime” rhetoric, particularly during elections. In 2024, Rahman spoke at the Masters of Scale Summit, sharing insights on why punitive policies fall short and presenting a vision for a system that prioritizes rehabilitation, restorative justice, and investment in communities. Her path into this work began at Vassar College, where she participated in a college-in-prison program that exposed her to the system's failings in delivering true justice or safety. Learning about Vera Institute’s research on alternatives to incarceration further inspired her to pursue reform, demonstrating that evidence-based solutions could make a real difference. Since then, Rahman has taken on various roles at the organization, from leading bail reform nationally to overseeing justice reform in New York, before stepping into her current leadership role. Earlier in her career, Rahman served as a staff attorney at The Bronx Defenders, representing clients facing severe cases and helping families navigate complex challenges. She also worked as an Associate Planner at the Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services and as a Program Associate at Vera Institute’s Center on Immigration and Justice. These roles strengthened her ability to connect community needs, legal strategies, and policy reform. Beyond her leadership at Vera, Rahman serves on the boards of the Aspen Institute’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and Dignity and Power Now, where she also chairs the board. She invests time each month in mentoring individuals who want to enter the fields of criminal justice and social justice, paying forward the guidance she received at the start of her career. With a Bachelor of Arts in Africana studies from Vassar College and a JD from the City University of New York School of Law, she has devoted nearly 25 years to this work. For Insha Rahman, the mission has always been about creating fairer systems, supporting families, and ensuring justice serves everyone.