Funders Need Good Data to Evaluate Programs That Decriminalize Drug Addiction

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Funders Need Good Data to Evaluate Programs That Decriminalize Drug Addiction

Insha Rahman, Senior Planner at the Vera Institute, comments on the recent PNY Program, "Intersections of Health and Justice: A Conversation on LEAD and New York’s Opioid Epidemic."

Rahman leads Vera’s work on bail reform and pretrial justice in New York City, with a focus on reducing the number of people held in pretrial detention at Rikers Island and other City correctional facilities solely because they are unable to afford bail. She has led research on the use of bail in New York City criminal court arraignments, and taught CLEs to defense attorneys on how to request alternative forms of bail such as unsecured and partially secured bonds. She collaborates on bail policy and technical assistance with New York City criminal justice stakeholders ranging from public defenders to government partners from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and the Office of Court Administration.