Summer 2026 - Intern, Restoring Promise

Vera Institute of Justice • Brooklyn, NY

15d • $17 - $25 • Remote

About The Position

Restoring Promise is an initiative of the Vera Institute of Justice that seeks to transform prison cultures, climates, and spaces by partnering with correctional leaders to reimagine housing units for young adults and realign corrections policies and practices with a commitment to human dignity. As Restoring Promise prepares for the next phase of our strategic plan, we are partnering with new and existing partner states to open young adult housing units and work on culture change inside women’s correctional facilities. Restoring Promise seeks to make our approach more gender-responsive and inclusive. Up until now, Restoring Promise has partnered with Connecticut Department of Corrections on the WORTH (Women Overcoming Recidivism Through Hard Work) unit at the York Correctional Institution in Niantic, CT, which opened in June, 2018. WORTH is currently our only unit in a women’s prison and has been a leader within Restoring Promise, often inspiring other young adult housing units with their innovative programming, mentorship models, and accountability process. Restoring Promise seeks to expand our work in women’s prisons, meet the needs of people living in women’s prisons, and build evidence for Restoring Promise’s effectiveness in women’s prisons. The internship is designed as an opportunity for someone to assist in the design and implementation of new Restoring Promise housing units in women’s prisons with new and existing partnership states beyond Connecticut. The Restoring Promise intern will bring their experience (if relevant) to new states building women’s units within our Department of Corrections partnership states. The intern will serve as a connector between members of the WORTH unit and the new partnership states. The intern will support Restoring Promise’s technical assistance, support the development of our implementation plans, training plans and research plans for the new women’s units to help make our approach more gender responsive and inclusive. The intern will learn: The process of programmatic technical assistance How to develop implementation, training, and research plans Facilitation, note-taking and presentation skills

Requirements

• Passion for expanding access to Restoring Promise units for women across the country
• Practical computer and tech knowledge (email, Zoom, Microsoft Office including Teams, Outlook and SharePoint, Slack, etc.) or if little experience willingness and aptitude to jump in and learn quickly
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to write for multiple audiences
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Self-starter
• Access to necessary technology (email, internet, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Recent experience of incarceration in a women’s prison or other institution, or as a staff member in a women’s prison preferred.
• Previous or current involvement with volunteer or paid efforts to support or advocate on behalf of peers

Responsibilities

• Technical Assistance Support the program team by participating in implementation workgroup meetings with current and new DOC partner states as they plan for their new units in women’s facilities and as they plan for culture change for residents and staff
• Assist in the facilitation of meetings with incarcerated residents and staff
• Provide advice and perspective based on experience (if relevant)
• Support development of training materials for new women’s units and the Restoring Promise team Collaborate with the Program Manager to revise the Restoring Promise training materials to ensure they are gender-responsive and inclusive.
• Gather resources and guides to inform building a more gender responsive approach to our Restoring Promise training
• Gather resources, guides, and best practices for building a training for the Restoring Promise team on gender justice and gender sensitivity for working with people in women’s prisons
• Support research development Provide feedback and use expertise to collaborate with Research colleagues to inform the development of indicators and surveys for use in the new Restoring Promise women’s units

Benefits

• merit pay
• generous paid time off
• a comprehensive health insurance plan
• student loan repayment benefits
• professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work
• employer-funded retirement plan
• flexible time

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees