Institute of Politics

Overview of Organization:

ILJP advances policies and practices that reduce violence, decrease incarceration and recidivism and make the justice system more equitable. ILJP works to promote criminal justice reform in Illinois at the local, regional and state levels on behalf of underserved communities, with an emphasis on racial inequity and poverty. This work is carried out through development, advocacy and implementation oversight of policies and practices.

ILJP, composed of a small staff of nine, continues justice policy work that began in 2000 within Chicago Metropolis 2020. From the start, ILJP's work has been rooted in strong collaboration on criminal justice issues with key stakeholders in government, advocacy groups, the community and business leaders. Some of the legacy includes working in coalitions leading to the separation of the youth division from the Department of Corrections, creating the Department of Juvenile Justice; creating Juvenile and Adult Redeploy Illinois programs, the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council, foundational statewide bond reform legislation, and the Justice Divided website.

On an on-going basis, ILJP convenes a series of coalition-building events to advance justice reform including:

• Monthly meetings of juvenile justice advocates and other adult justice advocates
• The Collaborative Each year, ILJP staffs the annual meeting of the Collaborative, a group of about 200 government stakeholders at the local and state levels, community representatives, and formerly incarcerated individuals advocating criminal justice reform. The Collaborative explores a new topic each year, with the goal of developing rigorous research, discussion, and analysis of policy goals to improve the justice system in partnership with the advocacy, government, and policymaking communities.
• Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council (JJLC) The Illinois Juvenile Justice Leadership Council, a statewide group of justice decision- makers, is co-chaired by Illinois Supreme Court Justices Joy Cunningham and Lisa Holder White and the Director of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Heidi Mueller. ILJP staffs and facilitates the JJLC, a quarterly meeting of decision-makers, service providers, government and reform advocates. Each meeting is designed to highlight some aspect of the juvenile system, comparing Illinois policy and practices to other jurisdictions, with the goal of improving outcomes for youth, their families and communities.

Internship Summary:

The internship provides students an opportunity to actively participate in the partnership, collaboration, and decision-making with ILJP staff, with government decision-makers (city, county and state), community service providers and justice advocates in policy development and implementation of reform efforts in the adult and juvenile justice systems. This internship offers an exciting opportunity for students interested in gaining exposure and insight into the forces— including research, advocacy, media, electoral politics, fiscal constraints, and judicial, legislative and executive decision-making—that shape the development and implementation of policies and programs related to adult and juvenile justice systems’ reform efforts in Illinois.

Some of what ILJP will be working on this academic year includes:

• Convening the 2024 Collaborative and Journalism Seminar
• Convening the Quarterly Meetings of the JJLC (January, April, July and October)
• Convening the Illinois Reentry Council and its monthly workgroups
• Convening Justice 20/20 and its monthly workgroups
• Monthly convenings of juvenile and adult advocates
• Informing elected officials about justice-related legislative issues
• Researching access to education for justice-involved youth
• Bond reform and right-sizing both juvenile and criminal justice systems.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will depend on skills and experience with project management, as demonstrated during the internship. General responsibilities will be to:

• Assist staff members in strategy development, policy research and written analysis, event planning, and other duties as assigned
• Assist in supporting project implementation
• Develop, under the guidance of senior staff, an individual project pertaining to a criminal justice subfield of your choice
• Attend policy development and implementation meetings and coalition-building events with senior staff

Preferred Skills:

• Understanding of, investment in, and passion for justice reform
• Time management and ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong writing and communication skills
• Collaboration skills
• Ability to adapt to various environments and take initiative
• Students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, sociology, economics, criminology, public policy, or social work are preferred, but the opportunity is open to all areas of study.

According to our former interns, interns should expect exposure to a wide range of issues relevant to criminal justice reform. Tasks will vary, sometimes drastically, in complexity, so the ability to remain flexible as a thought partner is a very important asset.