Medium

We envision a society that respects the dignity of every single person. And we're working to realize it.

We work with others who share our vision to tackle the most pressing injustices of our day - from the causes and consequences of mass incarceration, racial disparities, and the loss of public trust in law enforcement, to the unmet needs of the vulnerable, the marginalized, and those harmed by crime and violence.

Government

Vera Institute of Justice

Securing equal justice, ending mass incarceration, and strengthening families and communities. Founded 1961.

You should have program management experience, research skills, a commitment to racial equity, document organization, strong communication, and knowledge of project management tools and Microsoft Office.

You will coordinate communications from incarcerated individuals, conduct research, draft memos, maintain a database of elected officials, and support department meetings and events.

Government & Politics

Research & Development

Brooklyn

<div><div>Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity&mdash;both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.</div>
About the team:

Vera's Advocacy &amp; Partnerships department is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and staff development across Vera's initiatives to pass legislation, change policy, and create change at scale. We work to ensure that the goals of our advocacy campaigns align with the people and communities most impacted by criminal justice and immigration policies, and we collaborate with movement and advocacy partners to produce the right knowledge and ideas needed to change policies and legislation at the right time.

Vera's advocacy department serves the following core functions:
<ul>
<li>Providing state and local government and movement strategy guidance to Vera's national and place-based initiatives, with a focus on lobbying, campaigns, and coalition work; Vera Insights, a rapid response data and evidence team responsible for developing and producing data and knowledge to key partners and audiences;</li>
<li>Federal Policy expertise to lead Vera's advocacy strategies in DC; and</li>
<li>Vera Action, an independent (c)(4) entity.</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">About the role:</h3>

You are passionate about social and racial justice and motivated to help drive change. You are enthusiastic, collaborative, curious, and kind, and you value working with and helping others. You like creating processes to help teams function, and you like building information systems.

The learning goals of this internship include gaining insight into the issues affecting incarcerated individuals across the country, research learn and provide resources to incarcerated individuals and will learn about the various areas of the criminal legal and immigration reform that Vera's Advocacy Department works on to gain insight that will help the intern in choosing a career path in the field.

What you'll do: 

Coordinate the backlog of communications from incarcerated individuals:
<ul>
<li>Review and gather information from communications received from incarcerated individuals</li>
<li>Research and respond to requests from incarcerated individuals</li>
</ul>
Assist with desk research and drafting written memos
<ul>
<li>Conduct daily online, media, literature, and news reviews</li>
<li>Draft research synopsis memos</li>
</ul>
Help create and maintain a database of executive and legislative members and staff:
<ul>
<li>Assist with the creation of a quick-reference database providing information on electeds and their staff in the state, city, and local governments we work in</li>
</ul>
Other duties as assigned by Manager, but not limited to
<ul>
<li>Provide support for department meetings and special events to include but not limited to, scheduling, meeting set up, creating agendas, ordering needed materials, etc.</li>
</ul>
What qualifications are we looking for?
<ul>
<li>Interest and experience in program management or equivalent work experience</li>
<li>Experience conducting a wide range of research to support department needs</li>
<li>A demonstrated interest in the criminal legal and immigration systems by recognizing racial equity and social justice</li>
<li>Experience building and refining document organization systems</li>
<li>Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Knowledge, Skills, &amp; Abilities you'll bring:</h3>
<ul><li>Knowledge of project management software and models (i.e. Smartsheet, Asana)</li>
<li>We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace&mdash;specifically, we value diverse experiences regarding educational background and justice system contact</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Technical knowledge we need you to be prepared to use:</h3>
<ul><li>Microsoft Office Suite or similar software</li>
<li>Slack</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Location:</h3>

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Schedule:</h3>

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Compensation:</h3>

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
How to apply:</h3>

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Applications may also be faxed to:</h3>

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2025 - Intern, Advocacy and Partnerships 
Vera Institute of Justice 
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232 
Fax: (212) 941-9407 
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission. 
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.</div>

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
About the team:

Vera's Advocacy & Partnerships department is responsible for coordinating the vision, strategy, and staff development across Vera's initiatives to pass legislation, change policy, and create change at scale. We work to ensure that the goals of our advocacy campaigns align with the people and communities most impacted by criminal justice and immigration policies, and we collaborate with movement and advocacy partners to produce the right knowledge and ideas needed to change policies and legislation at the right time.

Vera's advocacy department serves the following core functions:

Providing state and local government and movement strategy guidance to Vera's national and place-based initiatives, with a focus on lobbying, campaigns, and coalition work; Vera Insights, a rapid response data and evidence team responsible for developing and producing data and knowledge to key partners and audiences;
Federal Policy expertise to lead Vera's advocacy strategies in DC; and
Vera Action, an independent (c)(4) entity.
About the role:

You are passionate about social and racial justice and motivated to help drive change. You are enthusiastic, collaborative, curious, and kind, and you value working with and helping others. You like creating processes to help teams function, and you like building information systems.

The learning goals of this internship include gaining insight into the issues affecting incarcerated individuals across the country, research learn and provide resources to incarcerated individuals and will learn about the various areas of the criminal legal and immigration reform that Vera's Advocacy Department works on to gain insight that will help the intern in choosing a career path in the field.

What you'll do:

Coordinate the backlog of communications from incarcerated individuals:

Review and gather information from communications received from incarcerated individuals
Research and respond to requests from incarcerated individuals

Assist with desk research and drafting written memos

Conduct daily online, media, literature, and news reviews
Draft research synopsis memos

Help create and maintain a database of executive and legislative members and staff:

Assist with the creation of a quick-reference database providing information on electeds and their staff in the state, city, and local governments we work in

Other duties as assigned by Manager, but not limited to

Provide support for department meetings and special events to include but not limited to, scheduling, meeting set up, creating agendas, ordering needed materials, etc.

What qualifications are we looking for?

Interest and experience in program management or equivalent work experience
Experience conducting a wide range of research to support department needs
A demonstrated interest in the criminal legal and immigration systems by recognizing racial equity and social justice
Experience building and refining document organization systems
Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:
Knowledge of project management software and models (i.e. Smartsheet, Asana)
We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace—specifically, we value diverse experiences regarding educational background and justice system contact
Technical knowledge we need you to be prepared to use:
Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
Slack
Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, NY, office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.

Schedule:

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.

Compensation:

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.

How to apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2025 - Intern, Advocacy and Partnerships
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.

Summer 2025 - Intern, Advocacy and Partnerships - Vera Institute of Justice

Summer 2025 - Intern, Advocacy and Partnerships

You must have Python and SQL skills, GitHub experience, a commitment to equity, curiosity about criminal justice, and preferably familiarity with Google Cloud and issues of mass incarceration.

You will ingest and integrate various data sources, refactor web scrapers, construct a central data model, review code, and coordinate with data science staff to ensure data consistency.

Data

<div><div>Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity&mdash;both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.</div>
About the team:

At Vera, we are attentive to the potential benefits and negative consequences of the use of technology in the criminal legal system, including by researchers and advocates. Under the leadership of Vera's Associate Director of Data Science &amp; Analytics, we are developing &quot;public interest data science&quot; approaches by prioritizing projects that constructively overcome the many challenges present in public and administrative datasets that hold key systemic information on the way our justice and public support systems function. We complement this work with a critical perspective on the current and potential ways data science, predictive algorithms, and AI can be used to exacerbate harm.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
About the role:</h3>

The Data Engineering Intern for the Research Department's Central Data Science team at Vera is a summer opportunity for a college student, graduate student or recent grad to immerse themselves into working in a data role at non-profit organization. Their work will support the construction and maintenance of a centralized datastore and data ingestion/processing framework with plans to incorporate data in a central repository to support researchers who work with public and/or large-scale data in the national and place-based initiatives.

The data engineering intern will participate in all day-to-day team activities, ranging from project and sprint planning, code review sessions, pair programming, social activities, and more. They will be directly mentored by a data engineer on the team, who will help train the intern on a range of responsibilities, including data collection, data modelling, automation, building data infrastructure, and ensuring data quality.

In addition to day-to-day data tasks, the intern will focus on a project that they will work on over the course of their internship that is relevant to their interests and experience. This might involve helping to design and manage large-scale data infrastructure systems, creating computational frameworks, designing data models, or building new tools to empower our community partners or organization's researchers to leverage and improve Vera's existing repository of data. Depending on their interest, other day-to-day tasks could include exploratory analyses, analytical software development, web scraping, and producing data visualizations.

What you'll do: 

Data ingestion
<ul>
<li>Integrate new sources of criminal justice, immigration, and economics data into our internally collected data; clean, transform, organize, ensure quality</li>
<li>Refactor existing web scrapers and data processes to new centralized infrastructure and frameworks</li>
</ul>
Central data model construction
<ul>
<li>Contribute code to building a central data model for unrestricted datasets</li>
</ul>
Code review and codebase maintenance
<ul>
<li>Help maintain existing codebase through reviewing requests</li>
<li>Coordinate with data science staff to ensure consistency of datasets, naming conventions, code repository structure, etc.</li>
</ul>
Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?
<ul>
<li>Demonstrated proficiency working with data collection and processing in Python, with preference for experience using SQL and Python Pandas library.</li>
<li>Proficiency developing code collaboratively using GitHub</li>
<li>Commitment to advancing racial and gender equity in work</li>
<li>Curiosity about emerging research and advocacy in the criminal justice space and/or immigration spaces</li>
<li>Wrestles with creative and concrete ways to use data to shift power and advance equity and inclusion</li>
</ul>
Preferred:
<ul>
<li>Professional, personal or academic engagement with issues of mass incarceration and mass criminalization</li>
<li>Experience working with Google Cloud Platform and its tools, including Airflow</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Location:</h3>

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, New York; Washington, DC; New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Schedule:</h3>

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Compensation:</h3>

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
How to apply:</h3>

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Applications may also be faxed to:</h3>

ATTN: People Resources / Summer 2025 - Data Engineer Intern, Central Research 
Vera Institute of Justice 
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232 
Fax: (212) 941-9407 
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission. 
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

In order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.</div>

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
About the team:

At Vera, we are attentive to the potential benefits and negative consequences of the use of technology in the criminal legal system, including by researchers and advocates. Under the leadership of Vera's Associate Director of Data Science & Analytics, we are developing "public interest data science" approaches by prioritizing projects that constructively overcome the many challenges present in public and administrative datasets that hold key systemic information on the way our justice and public support systems function. We complement this work with a critical perspective on the current and potential ways data science, predictive algorithms, and AI can be used to exacerbate harm.

About the role:

The Data Engineering Intern for the Research Department's Central Data Science team at Vera is a summer opportunity for a college student, graduate student or recent grad to immerse themselves into working in a data role at non-profit organization. Their work will support the construction and maintenance of a centralized datastore and data ingestion/processing framework with plans to incorporate data in a central repository to support researchers who work with public and/or large-scale data in the national and place-based initiatives.

The data engineering intern will participate in all day-to-day team activities, ranging from project and sprint planning, code review sessions, pair programming, social activities, and more. They will be directly mentored by a data engineer on the team, who will help train the intern on a range of responsibilities, including data collection, data modelling, automation, building data infrastructure, and ensuring data quality.

In addition to day-to-day data tasks, the intern will focus on a project that they will work on over the course of their internship that is relevant to their interests and experience. This might involve helping to design and manage large-scale data infrastructure systems, creating computational frameworks, designing data models, or building new tools to empower our community partners or organization's researchers to leverage and improve Vera's existing repository of data. Depending on their interest, other day-to-day tasks could include exploratory analyses, analytical software development, web scraping, and producing data visualizations.

What you'll do:

Data ingestion

Integrate new sources of criminal justice, immigration, and economics data into our internally collected data; clean, transform, organize, ensure quality
Refactor existing web scrapers and data processes to new centralized infrastructure and frameworks

Central data model construction

Contribute code to building a central data model for unrestricted datasets

Code review and codebase maintenance

Help maintain existing codebase through reviewing requests
Coordinate with data science staff to ensure consistency of datasets, naming conventions, code repository structure, etc.

Other duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

Demonstrated proficiency working with data collection and processing in Python, with preference for experience using SQL and Python Pandas library.
Proficiency developing code collaboratively using GitHub
Commitment to advancing racial and gender equity in work
Curiosity about emerging research and advocacy in the criminal justice space and/or immigration spaces
Wrestles with creative and concrete ways to use data to shift power and advance equity and inclusion

Preferred:

Professional, personal or academic engagement with issues of mass incarceration and mass criminalization
Experience working with Google Cloud Platform and its tools, including Airflow
Location:

Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn, New York; Washington, DC; New Orleans, LA; Los Angeles, CA office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.

Schedule:

The intern should be available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.

Compensation:

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.

How to apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Summer 2025 - Data Engineer Intern, Central Research
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

In order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.

Summer 2025 - Data Engineer Intern, Central Research - Vera Institute of Justice

Summer 2025 - Data Engineer Intern, Central Research

You must be a grad student in public health/social science, have research skills, strong communication, organizational abilities, and familiarity with qualitative/quantitative analysis. Connection to Louisiana is essential.

You will conduct research, analyze datasets, support advocacy efforts, attend meetings, take notes, assist with events, and manage administrative tasks to enhance skills in communication and analysis.

New Orleans

<div><div>Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity&mdash;both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.</div>
About the team:

Vera's work in New Orleans began in 2006, when the City Council invited us to assess the criminal justice system and propose reforms as part of post-Katrina recovery efforts. Since then, we have become a nexus for advancing evidence-based reform and have demonstrated that change is not only possible but within reach. In partnership with people leading and working in the local justice system, city leaders, and community organizations, we are working to end unnecessary detention and develop innovative, collaborative projects that improve the delivery of justice in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
About the role:</h3>

Vera Louisiana is seeking a part time (21 hours/week) summer Research Intern to provide a wide range of support for our ongoing projects, including advancing prosecution reform, jail population reduction, increasing investment in thriving communities, and addressing Louisiana's carceral impact in multiple parishes and at the state legislature. The Research Intern will be supervised primarily by the Senior Research Associate and will complete a variety of projects with other staff. This internship will provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in applied social justice research, using research to advance advocacy goals, and criminal legal systems in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana.

What you'll do: 

Research and analysis
<ul>
<li>Support ongoing mixed methods research projects</li>
<li>Review, organize, and analyze publicly available datasets</li>
<li>Observe and take notes during interviews and focus groups</li>
<li>Build skills in applied research, written communication, and systemic analysis</li>
</ul>
Partnership support
<ul>
<li>Attend and take notes at coalition and partner organization meetings</li>
<li>Build verbal and interpersonal communication skills</li>
<li>Gain awareness about network of criminal legal system advocacy organizations and how data can support advocacy goals</li>
</ul>
Advocacy
<ul>
<li>Prepare data to inform public policy advocacy</li>
<li>Build persuasive advocacy and communications skills</li>
<li>Gain knowledge about successful advocacy arguments and responses at a quick pace</li>
</ul>
Administrative
<ul>
<li>Provide support for planned events and other related responsibilities that may arise</li>
<li>Assist with scheduling meetings with internal and external partners</li>
<li>Gain experience in routine, professional responsibilities</li>
</ul>
Other Duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?
<ul>
<li>Currently enrolled in graduate school in a public health or social science program (epidemiology, sociology, political science, etc.)</li>
<li>Interest in applied social justice research, particularly to advance policy reform and advocacy</li>
<li>Ability to show initiative, ask questions, and adapt to changing priorities</li>
<li>Attention to detail and strong organizational skills</li>
<li>Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills</li>
<li>A demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds</li>
<li>Familiarity with collecting and/or analyzing qualitative data to identify themes</li>
<li>Familiarity with analyzing quantitative datasets to produce descriptive statistics</li>
</ul>
Preferred:
<ul>
<li>Demonstrated connection to Louisiana, New Orleans, or the Deep South</li>
<li>Willingness to travel to Baton Rouge on occasion (5% of time)</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Knowledge, Skills, &amp; Abilities you'll bring:</h3>
<ul><li>Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or similar software</li>
<li>Quantitative analysis software (ie: SQL, SPSS, SAS, Stata, etc)</li>
</ul><h3 class="jobSectionHeader">Location:</h3>

Please note this role will report to our New Orleans, Louisiana office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Schedule:</h3>

The intern should be available to work up to 21 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Compensation:</h3>

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
How to apply:</h3>

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.
<h3 class="jobSectionHeader">
Applications may also be faxed to:</h3>

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2025 - Research Intern, Vera Louisiana 
Vera Institute of Justice 
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232 
Fax: (212) 941-9407 
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission. 
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.</div>

Who we are:

The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by hundreds of advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems until they're fair for all. Founded in 1961 to advocate for alternatives to money bail in New York City, Vera is now a national organization that partners with impacted communities and government leaders for change. We develop just, antiracist solutions so that money doesn't determine freedom; fewer people are in jails, prisons, and immigration detention; and everyone is treated with dignity. For more information, visit vera.org.

Vera has a staff of 224 people, is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York and has offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people's educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
About the team:

Vera's work in New Orleans began in 2006, when the City Council invited us to assess the criminal justice system and propose reforms as part of post-Katrina recovery efforts. Since then, we have become a nexus for advancing evidence-based reform and have demonstrated that change is not only possible but within reach. In partnership with people leading and working in the local justice system, city leaders, and community organizations, we are working to end unnecessary detention and develop innovative, collaborative projects that improve the delivery of justice in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana.

About the role:

Vera Louisiana is seeking a part time (21 hours/week) summer Research Intern to provide a wide range of support for our ongoing projects, including advancing prosecution reform, jail population reduction, increasing investment in thriving communities, and addressing Louisiana's carceral impact in multiple parishes and at the state legislature. The Research Intern will be supervised primarily by the Senior Research Associate and will complete a variety of projects with other staff. This internship will provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in applied social justice research, using research to advance advocacy goals, and criminal legal systems in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana.

What you'll do:

Research and analysis

Support ongoing mixed methods research projects
Review, organize, and analyze publicly available datasets
Observe and take notes during interviews and focus groups
Build skills in applied research, written communication, and systemic analysis

Partnership support

Attend and take notes at coalition and partner organization meetings
Build verbal and interpersonal communication skills
Gain awareness about network of criminal legal system advocacy organizations and how data can support advocacy goals

Advocacy

Prepare data to inform public policy advocacy
Build persuasive advocacy and communications skills
Gain knowledge about successful advocacy arguments and responses at a quick pace

Administrative

Provide support for planned events and other related responsibilities that may arise
Assist with scheduling meetings with internal and external partners
Gain experience in routine, professional responsibilities

Other Duties as assigned

What qualifications are we looking for?

Currently enrolled in graduate school in a public health or social science program (epidemiology, sociology, political science, etc.)
Interest in applied social justice research, particularly to advance policy reform and advocacy
Ability to show initiative, ask questions, and adapt to changing priorities
Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills
A demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
Familiarity with collecting and/or analyzing qualitative data to identify themes
Familiarity with analyzing quantitative datasets to produce descriptive statistics

Preferred:

Demonstrated connection to Louisiana, New Orleans, or the Deep South
Willingness to travel to Baton Rouge on occasion (5% of time)
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities you'll bring:
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
Quantitative analysis software (ie: SQL, SPSS, SAS, Stata, etc)
Location:

Please note this role will report to our New Orleans, Louisiana office. Vera interns and employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule. Full-time positions generally amount to 10 days per month. Part-time positions generally amount to 5 days per month.

Schedule:

The intern should be available to work up to 21 hours per week during the summer. The dates will be between June 2nd and August 8th, with some flexibility to accommodate personal and academic schedules.

Compensation:

The compensation range for internships is $16.00 - $25.00 per hour. Actual compensation will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit. For those who need to earn academic credit, Vera will gladly assist in working with the school or program to make arrangements and meet requirements.

How to apply:

Please submit cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please explain why you are passionate about criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from this internship.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People, Place, and Culture / Summer 2025 - Research Intern, Vera Louisiana
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.

Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.

For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org.

Vera Institute of Justice

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