Job Description

IMPACT JUSTICE IS A GROWING ORGANIZATION FOCUSED ON BUILDING THE INTERNAL INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE INCREDIBLE WORK WE DO EXTERNALLY. IJ LAUNCHED IN 2015 AND NOW HAS A STAFF OF 85. WE ANTICIPATE MORE GROWTH IN THE FUTURE AND WE’RE LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR TEAM. IT’S THE PEOPLE AT IJ WHO MAKE EVERYTHING WE ACCOMPLISH POSSIBLE – AND WE’RE LOOKING TO HIRE FOLKS WHO ARE EXPERTS AT GETTING IT DONE!

WHO WE ARE Impact Justice dares to dream of a humane and restorative system of justice in the United States. Through innovation, research, policy, and advocacy, we are forging a new path to a justice system that is fair to all of us.  In addition to our core programs around the enforcement of the Prison Rape Elimination Act, Restorative Justice, and the Research and Action Center, we are continually adding more to our portfolio of Innovation programs. 

Overall, we all work to reduce the number of individuals (adults and youth) entangled in the criminal justice system, to improve conditions and outcomes for those who are currently incarcerated, and to provide opportunities to those who are rejoining communities.  We employ a national team of advocates, researchers, monitors, practitioners, and experts united by this vision.  We work closely with communities of color, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning, gender nonconforming, and transgender communities, the formerly incarcerated, and we are continually looking for opportunities to bring those with lived experience in those communities into our teams.  A majority of individuals on our current executive team identify as BIPOC and/or LGBTQ. We’re committed to living our values and to creating the kinds of equitable and inclusive team environments internally that we fight to help create in our broader communities. Check us out at www.impactjustice.org.

THE TEAM The Restorative Justice Project at Impact Justice works to support communities to meet the needs of people harmed while reducing incarceration, recidivism, racial and ethnic disparities, and related social and fiscal costs of criminal legal system involvement. We provide training and technical assistance (TTA) to communities in counties across the nation to implement pre-charge restorative justice diversion programs that serve as community-based solutions to youth and young adult incarceration. By supporting a growing cohort of national restorative justice diversion sites, our team also creates spaces for connection, shared learning, and joy for our many community and system partners. Outside of our direct site TTA, our project develops and shares a variety of tools and resources that support the spread of restorative justice philosophy and diversion efforts to enhance the broader movement toward a restorative justice ecosystem through the training and innovation center. We are a vibrant and diverse team of experienced restorative justice facilitators and criminal legal system change-makers committed to building pathways toward healing, safety, and wellbeing for communities across the country, especially communities of color disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.

THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM  We are looking for an intern to support the Restorative Justice team at Impact Justice. This is an opportunity to support the team on a wide array of tasks that are central to the Restorative Justice team’s success. Primarily, the right candidate will be responsible for supporting our work with our national cohort of restorative justice diversion site partners and supporting the enhancement or development of materials designed to engage the broader restorative justice diversion field. This position will have a high level of oversight and will work closely with various members of the team. 

WHO YOU ARE

• You are interested in learning more about advancing racial justice and ending mass incarceration.
• You are interested in learning more about restorative practices designed to divert people away from the criminal legal system. 
• You possess the ability to collaborate and work with a diverse team.
• You have strong writing and communication skills.
• You demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• You have the ability to work independently, are self-motivated, and possess strong organizational skills.
• You are excited and eager to learn and retain new information.
• You pay attention to the small details and always focus on producing quality work.
• You are organized, successful in managing time and prioritizing responsibilities.

That said, we know there are great candidates who may not think they fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that is you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself!  And if you’re a formerly incarcerated individual or someone who has a family member who is or has been incarcerated, we will be particularly excited to hear from you.

WHAT YOU WILL DO  The anticipated start date for this position is JUNE 13, 2022.  You will report to a designated member of the Restorative Justice team.  Your core responsibilities will be:

1. ATTEND NATIONAL RJD COHORT MEETINGS – You will join the team during regular calls with RJD site partners.  This will involve taking notes during meetings, identifying themes or follow-up steps for the restorative justice project team to best support the needs across cohort partners.
2. CONDUCT RESEARCH ON THE EMERGING THEMES – You will utilize themes from cohort partners to assess existing research, materials, or partners that could address themes that arise across the cohort.  This means researching existing literature, connecting with content experts, and/or reviewing studies, and summarizing findings.
3. REVISE OR CREATE MATERIALS FOR THE RJD FIELD– You will support the development of resources and materials to be included in our training and innovation center.  This includes summarizing content for various audiences and updating materials to include the most recent and relevant information.

APPLYING This is a part-time position, 20hr/week, and the hourly rate of pay is $20/hr. We are open to providing academic credit for this position where applicable, so please let us know in your cover letter if this is an option for you. We would prefer that the candidate be located in either our Washington D.C. or Oakland, CA office.

This will be a hybrid position, meaning that you will be expected to work from either the Washington D.C. OR Oakland, CA offices and remotely, depending on the needs of the team.

If this all sounds like a good fit for you, please send your resume and a brief email or letter explaining why you are interested in the role and why we should be particularly interested in you!  You can send this to RJINTERN@IMPACTJUSTICE. ORG. Please have the subject line of the email read “[Your Last Name], [Your First Name] Application for RJ INTERN.  

We plan on making decisions on a rolling basis, so the earlier you apply the better.  

Note that we are committed to workplace diversity and providing equal employment  opportunities. We are going to be especially excited about candidates who understand the  unique nature of a mission-driven organization, have direct experience with the criminal legal, or juvenile justice legal systems, and appreciate the complexities of collaborating with team members in remote locations. 

Qualifications

WHO YOU ARE

• You are interested in learning more about advancing racial justice and ending mass incarceration.
• You are interested in learning more about restorative practices designed to divert people away from the criminal legal system. 
• You possess the ability to collaborate and work with a diverse team.
• You have strong writing and communication skills.
• You demonstrate strong analytical and problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• You have the ability to work independently, are self-motivated, and possess strong organizational skills.
• You are excited and eager to learn and retain new information.
• You pay attention to the small details and always focus on producing quality work.
• You are organized, successful in managing time and prioritizing responsibilities.

That said, we know there are great candidates who may not think they fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that is you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself!  And if you’re a formerly incarcerated individual or someone who has a family member who is or has been incarcerated, we will be particularly excited to hear from you.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.