Development & Communications Internship- Summer 2026

NYC Criminal Justice Agency•New York, NY

1d•$18

About The Position

The New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) is a not-for-profit service and research organization that operates in partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. CJA is the City’s main pretrial services agency, combining operations, pilot projects, and research under one roof. CJA utilizes procedural justice practices to provide pretrial services to over 100,000 people arrested annually in New York City. Information collected about these arrestees and subsequent case processing is maintained in the agency’s internal and externally shared database systems, which are used to conduct descriptive and evaluation research on arrestee characteristics, case processing, and court outcomes, and on issues and potential reforms to criminal justice policy in New York City. CJA’s client-facing programs operate in the criminal courts and detention facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week, within the 5 boroughs of NYC. City-wide, CJA employs over 300 mission-focused and support staff. About the Internship CJA is seeking a motivated Development & Communications Intern to support our external affairs and fundraising efforts over the summer. This is a hands-on role well suited to someone with strong writing skills and a genuine interest in criminal justice reform, data and technology policy, or nonprofit service. You'll work closely with the Department of Policy & Program Strategy and Communications to build the infrastructure and materials that help CJA tell its story and grow its network of funders and partners.

Requirements

Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to adapt tone and format for different audiences
Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint)
Interest in criminal justice reform, fundraising, data policy, or nonprofit services
Research skills and comfort synthesizing information from multiple sources
Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

Graphic design and social media experience is a plus

Responsibilities

Research foundations, government funders, and organizations working at the intersection of justice, technology, and data to identify potential funding and partnership opportunities
Compile and maintain a prospect database with funding priorities, deadlines, and contact information
Track trends in the justice reform and civic tech funding landscape to inform CJA's development strategy
Draft internal and external communications materials, including newsletters, press releases, vlog and other social media posts
Support the development of CJA's editorial calendar and help ensure consistent, timely content across channels
Assist in drafting and formatting grant letters of inquiry, proposals, or reports as needed
Support development of website copy for the new website
Help develop briefing documents, one-pagers, talking points, and background memos for meetings with elected officials, potential funders, reporters, and other key stakeholders
Conduct research to support those briefings, including legislative tracking, funder background, and media monitoring
Help prepare talking points and Q&A documents for CJA leadership ahead of external meetings and events
Support planning and logistics for webinars, convenings, or other external events
Assist with drafting post-event summaries, thank-you communications, and follow-up materials
Providing note-taking support during meetings
Sending out agendas ahead of meetings
Coordinating schedules on behalf of CJA colleagues