Who You Are

Vera's Fines and Fees Initiative works with impacted people, community leaders, and experts to uncover the true costs and harms of criminal legal system fines and fees in states across the country and to develop and enact policy reforms that end discriminatory practices related to these debt obligations. The Research Intern will be responsible for supporting our initiative's quantitative research work in New Mexico, which is focused on understanding local policies that punish people for their inability to pay these fines and fees. This person will be responsible for analyzing arrest, sentencing, and fiscal data in support of a final research report on this topic, and assisting with other quantitative research projects related to the initiative as needed. The ideal candidate for this role is an undergraduate or graduate student with experience conducting research in academic or applied settings and able to commit to part-time work through the end of the 2022-2023 academic year. .

Primary Responsibilities:

Analyze court data

• Conduct data entry and quality checks related to sentencing and budget data from New Mexico courts
• Support quantitative analysis of these data
• Synthesize findings to be used in final research report

Analyze law enforcement data

• Manage data collection and relationships with FOIL officers across multiple New Mexico law enforcement agencies
• Conduct data entry and quality checks for arrest and budget data from law enforcement agencies
• Support quantitative analysis of these data
• Synthesize findings to be used in final research report

Assist with miscellaneous quantitative research work

• Provide quantitative research support for other initiative workstreams, as needed

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Pursuing an undergraduate or advanced degree in social science (including but not limited to sociology, anthropology, criminal justice, criminology), public policy, or public health
• Competency in quantitative research, including collecting, cleaning, analyzing, and interpreting data
• Some relevant work experience in criminal legal system reform or social justice fields
• Proficiency with using Microsoft Excel for data management and analysis

Preferred:

• Experience working with government data, especially sentencing, arrest, and/or budgetary data
• Proficiency in R or other, similar statistical analysis software
• Has experience with the criminal legal system (you were yourself in the system and/or you have a family member who is/was in the system)
• Familiar with the role of fines & fees in the criminal legal system

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Proficient in using Microsoft Excel for data management and analysis
• Proficient with other programs within Microsoft Office suite, Windows server and Networking, Web conferencing tools
• Good communication skills (verbal and written)

List of Required Software applications:

• Microsoft Excel, Zoom, Slack, Smartsheets

Schedule

The intern should be available to work up to 20 hours per week for six months, with the opportunity to continue working for up to one year. Start and end dates are flexible.

Location:

Please note that this internship is remote.

Compensation and Benefits:

The compensation range for this position is $16-$25 hourly. Compensation is commensurate with educational background and work or other experience. Applicants may choose to receive academic credit for an internship/externship. 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.

Applications may also be faxed to:

ATTN: People Resources / Research Intern (Part-Time), Fines and Fees Initiative

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.

As a federal contractor, and 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