HELP US END MASS INCARCERATION The Prison Policy Initiative uses research, advocacy, and organizing to dismantle mass incarceration. We’ve been in this movement for 23 years, thanks to individual donors like you.

Can you help us sustain this work?

Thank you,
Peter Wagner, Executive Director Donate

Internships

We have reluctantly stopped taking new student interns and volunteers at this time, as we focus on on-boarding full-time staff members who will be working remotely.

I write to thank you for a truly inspiring, educational, and most of all, empowering spring break. I don’t think I have ever worked so hard and learned so much in such a short amount of time. I immediately realized that you possess an uncanny ability to mold raw, idealistic commitment to civil rights and social reform into productive legal and legislative action: I learned by doing, and you showed me what to do. I left feeling less jaded about the prospects for real political change. I’m confident that when I look back on my law school work experiences in the coming years, my spring break internship at PPI will rank as one of, if not the, most formative, not only in my development as a lawyer, but also in my development as a politically engaged and empowered person.

—Drew Kukorowski
University of North Carolina
School of Law 2L, April 2011


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We work with undergraduate, graduate and law students in our Easthampton, Massachusetts office.

For graduate and law students

We are looking for graduate and law student interns to spend either the summer or spring break week helping us create and disseminate cutting-edge research on incarceration policy.

We are currently seeking one or two exceptional students for an Alternative Spring Break Project for 2023. Past week-long projects culminated in publications co-authored by our volunteers and cited by the New York Times editorial board. Minimum time commitment is four full days.

The summer program requires a 10 week minimum commitment. Past intern projects have been our research database, the Do you know where the children are? A Report of Massachusetts Youth Unlawfully Held Without Bail report, Georgia’s attempted banishment of people on the state’s sex offender registry and a report on the racial disparities inherent in Massachusetts’ mandatory minimum sentencing law for drug offenses committed near schools. We usually take on just one or two interns for the summer, and preference will be given to interns who can make a commitment longer than 10 weeks.

In the past, we have offered in-office externships for law students who want to learn about criminal justice and electoral reform work on a one-day-a-week schedule.

Pay and housing: All spring break positions are unpaid, and we will actively support any fundraising efforts that you undertake at your school to support spring break or summer positions. Local activists and supporters will provide housing for Alternative Spring Breakers. We are unable to provide housing for summer interns, but we think you will find the region quite affordable and we will make some helpful referrals to locate housing in the Easthampton/Northampton area.

Deadline: Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. (All positions for currently filled, we look forward to hearing from you for 2023.)

Undergraduates

Leah and Yoo Eun talk about outreach to incarcerated people

Yoo Eun Kim and Leah talk about progressive criminal justice reform proposals.


Catie Cain wraps up outreach to legislators

Catherine Cain puts the finishing touches on her outreach to state legislators project.

We provide workstudy positions and volunteer opportunities for 5-College area students. Most often, students come in one-day or afternoon a week during the semester to help with ongoing or special projects. Please contact us or your student employment office for more details.

The location

Our office in Easthampton is located 2 hours west of Boston, 2 hours east of Albany, NY and an hour north of Hartford, CT in beautiful Western Massachusetts. Easthampton is accessible from nearby Northampton by PVTA (Red 41 bus and the Nashawannuck Express flexvan), and you can get here via the Peter Pan/Greyhound Bus Station in Northampton, the Amtrak train station in Springfield, and the Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, CT.

To apply

In-office externship program (typically undergrad)(2023) send:

  • A cover letter with at least one paragraph explaining why you would like to work for the Prison Policy Initiative.
  • A resume
  • A completed copy of our skill assessment form (MS Word) so we can match the work to your skills and interests.

5 College work study program (typically undergrad)(Fall 2023), send:

  • A completed copy of our skill assessment form (MS Word) so we can match the work to your skills and interests.

Summer program (typically grad or law student) (2023), send:

  • A cover letter with:
    • at least one paragraph explaining why you would like to work for the Prison Policy Initiative,
    • a description of how many weeks you could commit to working with us, and
    • a description about how we could help you raise funds at your school to support a summer clerkship at the Prison Policy Initiative.
  • A resume
  • A completed copy of our skill assessment form (MS Word) so we can match the work to your skills and interests.

Alternative Spring Break (typically grad or law student) project (2023), send:

  • A cover letter that includes the dates you are available, your year in law school and whether you would need housing.
  • A completed copy of our skill assessment form (MS Word) so we can match the work to your skills and interests.


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