From Incarceration to Legislation...
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Job Opportunity
ORGANIZER: The Campaign to End Life Without Parole (CELWOP)
The Campaign to End Life without Parole (CELWOP), a newly formed coalition, is seeking a community organizer to coordinate a state-wide drive to increase public awareness of life without parole sentences in Massachusetts and to galvanize public support to end LWOP.
The campaign would complement efforts by Massachusetts lawmakers to secure passage of H1797, legislation that would eliminate LWOP by mandating parole review eligibility in all instances starting at 25 years of incarceration. The measure would also establish restorative justice programs geared to men and women incarcerated in Massachusetts on sentences in excess of 25 years.
CELWOP seeks a field organizer with lived experience in the criminal legal system, either as a formerly incarcerated person or as someone with a loved one who is serving a life sentence or another extreme sentence. While current funding for the post would expire after 24 weeks, CELWOP will work to raise additional resources to extend the position. CELWOP anticipates that the position will begin July 1 2021.
Connecting with faith-based groups, unions, schools and colleges, community-based and activist organizations, the organizer will seek to challenge the media-driven false narrative that people convicted of violent offenses are irredeemable and undeserving of a second chance.
The organizer will work in collaboration with incarcerated members of CELWOP. He/She/They will be responsible for promoting civic engagement in the campaign to abolish life without parole.
In particular, the organizer should have:
· knowledge of the Massachusetts criminal legal system
· the ability to travel to targeted districts to attend conferences, community gatherings and public rallies.
· have a computer, phone and the ability to print documents.
In addition, the organizer will be expected to:
· work in collaboration with others to create a social media campaign against life without parole sentences in Massachusetts.
· arrange speaking engagements for himself/herself/themselves, as well as CELWOP members.
· respond promptly, in consultation with CELWOP, to provocative or hostile commentary or coverage in the media.
· provide a detailed monthly activities report to CELWOP.
· attend regular meetings of the CELWOP coalition, in person or via Zoom conferencing
Skills/Knowledge Needed
· strong computer skills
· familiarity with social media
· organizational experience
· trained in or familiar with restorative justice
· strong communication skills, both verbal and written
· ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people
· familiarity with the legislative process
· familiarity with organizations and individuals working to end mass incarceration
· familiarity with restorative justice practices both inside and outside of prison.
The organizer, who will be retained as an independent contractor, will check in and report progress on a monthly basis to the Exoneree Network, which is applying for funds from The Sentencing Project to finance CELWOP. The Network’s fiscal sponsor is The New England Innocence Project. The organizer’s direction will be led by consensus of CELWOP.
DURATION
July 1 2021 – December 15 2021: 24 weeks:
COMPENSATION
40 dollars per hour, 20 hours a week, or 480 hours, plus reimbursement for expenses
YOUR RESUME AND A LETTER EXPLAINING YOUR INTEREST AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION SHOULD BE EMAILED TO:
CYNTHIA GOLDBERG
cynthia@thef8foundation.org
Join us for our upcoming event!
Join panelists Senator William Brownsberger, Senator Pat Jehlen, Representative Liz Miranda, Ruth Greenberg, Esq., Lauren Petit, Esq. of Prisoners' Legal Services, and Deborah Goldfarb, LICSW of the HLS Criminal Justice Institute for a passionate and informative discussion on medical parole and the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you would like to submit questions for panelists prior to the event, please contact Linda Arian at director@cjpc.org.