Summer 2013 Undergraduate Internship - National Prison Project

SUMMER 2013 INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY NOTICE TO UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS American Civil Liberties Union Foundation National Prison Project, Washington, D.C.

The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU), founded in 1920, is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with more than 500,000 members dedicated to the principles of liberty and equality embodied in the U.S. Constitution. The National Prison Project of the ACLU's National Office in Washington, D.C. invites applicants for the Summer 2013 Undergraduate Internship, which will begin in May or June 2013.

OVERVIEW

Founded in 1972 by the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Prison Project (NPP) seeks to ensure constitutional conditions of confinement in prisons, jails, juvenile facilities, and immigration detention facilities. The Project seeks to promote prisoners' rights through class action litigation and public education. Its priorities include reducing prison overcrowding, improving prisoner medical care, eliminating violence and maltreatment, and increasing oversight and accountability in prisons, jails, and other places of detention.

The Project also works to challenge the policies of over-incarceration that have led the United States to imprison more people than any other country in the world. This is an opportune moment to reform those policies. There is a growing consensus among criminal justice experts and policymakers that America's criminal justice system has relied too heavily on incarceration as the first and often only response for non-violent behavior that could better be addressed through other means. The population in American prisons and jails has tripled in the past 15 years and now approaches two and a half million. Facilities are overcrowded; medical systems are overwhelmed; work, education, and treatment programs are inadequate; and prison violence has increased. This failed experiment does not make us safer, it is not affordable, and it exacerbates the racial disparities that have long plagued the criminal justice system.

The Project, with a staff of seven lawyers, has fought and continues to fight unlawful prison conditions and practices through successful litigation on behalf of prisoners in more than 25 states. Since 1991, the Project has represented prisoners in five cases before the United States Supreme Court. The ACLU is the only organization litigating prison conditions of confinement nationwide on behalf of men, women, and children.

INTERNSHIP OVERVIEW

The Summer 2013 Undergraduate Internship requires a 12-16 week commitment. The internship is full-time or part-time, with weekly hours that are negotiable. Since this is an unpaid internship, students are highly encouraged to seek funding from outside sources. Arrangements can be made with students' schools for work/study stipend or course credit.

Interns will have the opportunity to gain valuable experience by working alongside the National Prison Project team. They will also learn about building and supporting strategic legislative and advocacy campaigns. Work will include the following:

• Assisting with the production and distribution of advocacy materials.
• Conducting factual research and writing.
• Gathering current information related to prison and jail conditions for a resource library.
• Documenting and tracking complaints received from prisoners and responding with informational materials.
• Other projects as assigned.

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

This Internship is open to students who have completed their first year of college, and who are enrolled in an undergraduate program for communications, political science, or sociology.Applicants must possess:

• A strong interest in criminal justice and a commitment to civil rights.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent research, writing and communication skills.
• Strong computer skills, particularly web-based research including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

The ACLU is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. The ACLU encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, and veteran status. We encourage any applicants who need accommodations in the application process to contact: Recruitment@aclu.org.

The ACLU comprises two separate corporate entities, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation. Both the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU Foundation are national organizations with the same overall mission, and share office space and employees. The ACLU has two separate corporate entities in order to do a broad range of work to protect civil liberties. This job posting refers collectively to the two organizations under the name "ACLU."