March 3, 2023 update: We have filled the Policy and Advocacy Manager position. The hiring process for the Policy and Advocacy Associate will resume in a couple of weeks, as we are focusing on several forthcoming reports. Thank you to the many people who have already applied; we appreciate your patience with our process.
As a reminder, we are not currently accepting new applications for the Policy and Advocacy Associate position. If you have submitted an application already, it will be reviewed for consideration when we resume the process and we will be in touch.
(Work from home, preferably from Ill., Mass., or N.Y.)
posted January 3, 2023
The Prison Policy Initiative (https://www.prisonpolicy.org) is a leading organization in the fight against mass incarceration. We use data to explain the need for criminal legal system reform, and we do so in a way that is designed to both bring in new allies and re-energize existing supporters. (For a high-level overview of our work, our history, and our impact, see our highly skimmable annual reports.)
In 2021, the organization launched a Policy and Advocacy Department that focuses on supporting rather than leading on-the-ground reform efforts. While most Policy and Advocacy departments organize campaigns, mobilize volunteers, and pressure decision-makers for change, ours is a bit different. Rather than replicate the amazing work that hundreds of organizations are already doing to change the criminal legal system, we have chosen to leverage our expertise, data visualizations, and easy-to-understand narratives to help these organizations strengthen their campaigns. That’s why our advocacy work focuses on:
The Policy and Advocacy Department prioritizes providing support to state and local groups that are working on issues where we have expertise, particularly those led by directly-impacted people, that have reduced resources, and/or are located in states with less existing statewide organizing infrastructure.
The Prison Policy Initiative is seeking a Policy and Advocacy Associate to help the department support the larger criminal legal reform movement by leveraging the power of our research strategies and publications, developing training materials for advocates, and providing technical assistance and added capacity to those engaging in criminal legal reform efforts at the state and local levels. This is a full-time (40 hours expected), junior- to mid-level position, with room for advancement based on performance and expertise. Primary responsibilities are outlined below.
The Policy and Advocacy Associate will ultimately report to the to-be-hired Policy and Advocacy Manager, but in the near term will report to the Research Director. This position will be permanently remote, with a preference for applicants from states where we already have staff: Ill., Mass., and N.Y.
The ideal candidate would bring with them a combination of the following experiences, skills, and mindsets:
The Prison Policy Initiative is an equal opportunity employer. People from communities that are overrepresented in the criminal justice system and people with direct experience with the criminal legal system are especially encouraged to apply.
In the first 4 months and ongoing:
Before the end of year 1:
Salary for this junior- to mid-level position will be $55,000-$75,000 per year, dependent on experience. Employees also receive the necessary equipment for working from home and a generous benefit package, which includes: reimbursement of at least $5,850 for health and dental insurance annually,1 an IRA match, all federal holidays, 15 days of vacation time per year, paid sick time, paid leave for visiting incarcerated loved ones and for supporting their successful return home from incarceration, fully-paid life and disability insurance, an educational subsidy, and more.
Check out our FAQ and send the following to: jobs [at] prisonpolicy.org with the subject line "Policy and Advocacy Associate":
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applying sooner is encouraged. Please allow us to keep our daily focus on improving the criminal legal system by refraining from writing or calling the office to check on the status of your application. We'll keep the job page at https://www.prisonpolicy.org/jobs.html up to date with the status of our candidate search.
In New York City, we automatically increase this subsidy by $3,000. ↩