Prisons and jails in 17 states around the country opened their doors last week as part of Vera’s National Prison Visiting Week. Our nation’s prisons and jails are as much a part of our communities as our schools and courts, yet they are among the least visible institutions in our society today. To model transparency and raise awareness to the issue of criminal justice reform, this initiative brought local community members—including business leaders, mayors, teachers, physicians, faith leaders, celebrities, and more—to 29 local, state, and federal facilities. The White House also lent support, with Valerie Jarrett, special advisor to President Obama, visiting a youth facility in Maryland with Nick Turner, and Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff, joining a tour of the Washington, DC jail. Prison Visiting Week is a component of Vera’s Reimagining Prison initiative, which aims to reexamine the purpose and goals of incarceration, and the values that underlie its use. Watch this video about why we must reimagine prison, follow Prison Visiting Week with the hashtag #PVW2016, and check out Vera’s new instagram profile to see photos from the tours, plus other Vera news.