The Roosevelt Institution
Title: Youth Justice Policy Intern
Start Date: Flexible, preferably June 9, 2008
Salary volunteer (non-paying)
Position Details:
The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is accepting applications for its 10 week internship program. We accept full-time interns during the summer.
We seek interns interested in being introduced to the “nuts and bolts” of juvenile and criminal justice reform and issue campaign organization and management. This may include everything from poring through government reports, statistics, records, and data to working on the communications strategy associated with a state-based campaign/ initiative or analyzing legislation with clear policy implications.
We are committed to creating a fulfilling and rewarding internship experience and view this as a partnership between our organization, students, and educators. Interns are fully integrated into the office and can be expected to perform basic administrative tasks. Interns are included in regular staff meetings, as well as strategy meetings to learn about Campaign strategy.
Projects interns can expect to work on include:
o 50-State Analysis – Analyze state statutes; conduct literature reviews; write fact sheets; research potential new states for advocacy;
o Policy Brief Series – Write summaries of research on hot topics, including youth in adult jails, blended sentencing, and consequences of adult convictions;
o Case Profiles – Interview current and formerly incarcerated youth, their parents and families;
o Youth & Parent Support –Conduct focus groups with parents of court-involved youth; assist with youth and parent outreach efforts; assist in developing materials for the Campaign’s website; assist in developing a curriculum on organizing and advocacy for youth, parents, and their families;
o Direct Advocacy Assistance – Develop materials for attorneys to use in transfer cases, such as expert listings and research summaries;
o Congress Project – Prepare advocacy materials for the reauthorization of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA) currently underway; work with national advocates; organize legislative briefings for Members of Congress and their staff;
o National Outreach – Contact national and state organizations to join the campaign and endorse the national resolution to reduce transfer of youth to the adult criminal justice system;
o DC Policy & Legislative Committee – Research and write fact sheets, policy briefs, a DC fact book on juvenile justice or a Juvenile Justice “Agenda” book for the new Mayor and DC Council;
Position Requirements/Preferred Skills:
Youth Justice Policy Interns are currently needed to support the organization’s research and government relations teams. In this role, interns are likely to perform Internet-based research, assist with interviews and focus groups, help develop and administer surveys of juvenile justice policymakers and key stakeholders, participate in quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis, provide writing assistance on research summaries and original policy reports, and assist with legislative advocacy.
Prospective candidates should have strong writing skills, some research experience, and an interest in public policy or juvenile/criminal justice research. Quantitative research skills are encouraged, but are not required.
Learning Outcomes:
Youth Justice Policy Interns have the chance to witness first-hand the exciting and complex legislative process to gain an insiders view on how legislative reforms at both state and federal levels occur. Youth Justice Policy Interns/Fellows will:
1) Learn issue campaign organization and skills (e.g., grassroots organizing tactics, media and communications strategies, lobbying);
2) Gain experience in presenting quantitative and qualitative analysis in a variety of formats (e.g., fact sheets, PowerPoint presentations, policy briefs) for multiple audiences with no knowledge of data analysis; and
3) Improve their research and writing skills by contributing to a variety of CFYJ publications.
About CFYJ
The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national campaign dedicated to ending the practice of trying, sentencing and incarcerating children under 18 in the adult criminal justice system. CFYJ is a public education campaign that seeks to raise awareness about the impact of current state policies and practices that result in trying youths as adults. The Campaign carries out its mission in several ways, including:
1. Generating research that advances the quality and content of juvenile justice discourse
2. Use of the media and other communications strategies to disseminate our message
3. National advocacy and organizing, along with similar efforts at the state level