Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy is a new criminal justice policy hub that primarily focuses on prosecution in the South.
The Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) is a nonpartisan network of prosecutors, researchers, students, and other stakeholders dedicated to improving individual and collective outcomes in the criminal justice system. The Project supports communities that traditionally have been overlooked by national policy centers. Through trainings, research, conferences, and technical assistance, VPOPP engages criminal justice leaders, particularly prosecutors in the South, to develop and implement policies and programs that reduce unnecessary incarceration and promote public safety.
VPOPP is housed in Vanderbilt Law’s Criminal Justice Program and collaborates closely with highly experienced and respected Vanderbilt Law faculty members affiliated with the program.
Criminal justice leaders from six jurisdictions convened at Vanderbilt Law School with problems that had plagued their communities for years. They left with something different: momentum and a concrete plan to solve these difficult problems.
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Alissa Heydari
Research Professor
Alissa Marque Heydari runs the Vanderbilt Project on Prosecution Policy (VPOPP) at Vanderbilt Law School and hosts “True Bill Talk,” a podcast about prosecution.
Prior to founding VPOPP, she served as deputy director of the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP) at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. While at the IIP, Alissa launched its Beyond Big Cities program, which successfully engaged prosecutors from around the country in smaller, rural, and conservative jurisdictions. Before joining the IIP, Alissa was an Assistant District Attorney in New York County (DANY), where she handled hundreds of cases, including violent felonies and homicides. While at DANY she served as Acting Criminal Court Supervisor and was a member of the Sex Crimes Unit and Elder Abuse Unit.
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