60Insha 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 guides the advocacy priorities and campaigns for both organizations, focusing on ending mass incarceration, protecting immigrant rights, ensuring dignity for those in prison, and building safer, stronger communities. She also leads place-based initiatives in California, Louisiana, and New York.
Rahman is a nationally recognized expert on criminal legal reform. She has been featured in leading outlets, including NPR, The New York Times, City and State, Mother Jones, PBS’s MetroFocus, and The Nation. Over the past year, she has taken on a national role in shaping the conversation around safety, accountability, and justice, pushing back against harmful “tough-on-crime” narratives, especially during election seasons. At the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit, she spoke on why punitive approaches fail and shared her vision for building a justice system rooted in rehabilitation, restorative justice, and community investment.
Rahman’s introduction to this work began at Vassar College, where she joined a college-in-prison program. The experience exposed her to the system's failures in providing fairness or safety. Learning aboutVera Institute’s research on alternatives to incarceration further inspired her to believe in practical, evidence-based solutions. Over the years, she has served in multiple roles, from leading bail reform nationally to overseeing justice reform in New York, before moving into her current leadership role at a national level.
Earlier in her career, Rahman worked as a staff attorney at The Bronx Defenders, representing clients in severe cases and supporting families through difficult circumstances. She also served 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 experiences gave her a strong foundation to connect law, policy, and community needs to deliver lasting change.
Beyond Insha Rahman's leadership roles, she serves on the boards of the Aspen Institute’s Criminal Justice Reform Initiative and Dignity and Power Now, where she is also the chair. She dedicates time each month to mentoring individuals interested in social justice, paying forward the guidance she once received. 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 spent nearly 25 years dedicated to criminal justice and immigration reform. For Insha Rahman, the work has always been about creating better futures, supporting families in need, and building a justice system that serves all fairly with dignity.