Vera Institute of Justice

The United States spends $80 billion on incarceration each year, and yet ,more than half of the people who leave prison return there within 5 years. Which brings us to ask the question, why do we incarcerate people in the first place? This question very same question that drives Vera Institute of Justice. As advocates for social justice reform, we were honored to partner with Vera on a video that would raise awareness about our current system and ask us to reimagine the prison experience in the United States.

Because the narrative focused on reinventing our incarceration system, we chose an artistic approach that was also transformative. Using a hand-drawn approach, we chose to humanize abstract shapes and delicate silhouettes in order to tell an inclusive story.

The campaign was well-received. In its first 24 hours, #Reimagineprison was shared thousands of times by organizations, celebrities, and activists, including the ACLU, Judd Apatow, and Ava DuVernay. Even Justin Bieber gave his approval. To learn more about our criminal justice system, visit reimagine.vera.org.