Q&A
By
Sameer Rao | May 2, 2021, 8:02 PM EDT
People working to end anti-Black racism in the United States' criminal justice system recognize that the struggle does not end with addressing officers' use of force. For Jamila "Jami" Hodge, it also requires tackling prosecutorial biases in tandem with both the government and the Black and brown communities most devastated by state violence.
Jamila "Jami" Hodge
As director of the Vera Institute of Justice's Reshaping Prosecution project, Hodge unites local organizations and activists with prosecutor's offices to enact data-driven and racially just solutions. Most recently, the project announced partnerships with prosecutor's offices in Virginia and Missouri that aim to reduce racial disparities throughout the system by at least 20%. Hodge is pursuing this goal through a mix of data collection on racial disparities, education and policy advising.