Juvenile Justice and JCVI

Support court, detention and policy work with young people in the juvenile justice system, and help build the evidence behind Juvenile Community Violence Intervention (JCVI).

Juvenile justice is the center of our work. Interns on this track serve in two settings: the court and detention programs where We The Revolt meets young people at their first point of contact with the system, and the policy and research work behind Juvenile Community Violence Intervention (JCVI), our proposed approach for the young people community violence intervention was not designed to identify. The work is close to children and families at one of the hardest moments of their lives. It asks for discretion, steadiness and an uncompromising respect for confidentiality. Interns never work alone with a young person, and every program activity is supervised by cleared staff.

Where
Miami, Chicago, Houston. Hybrid.
Terms
Fall, Spring, Summer
Hours
12 to 20 hours a week
Supervised by
Director of Juvenile Justice Programs
Open to
Juniors, seniors, graduate and doctoral students, and recent graduates in criminology, criminal justice, social work, psychology, public policy, law or a related field.
Academic credit
Available with your school's approval. We complete the learning agreements, site supervisor forms and evaluations your program requires.
Compensation
Unpaid. Academic credit and stipends where funded.
Screening
Interview, two references, background check, safeguarding training and facility clearance.

What we need

  • Policy research: track juvenile justice legislation, agency rules and court practice in Miami-Dade, Broward, Cook and Harris counties, and summarize findings in short, cited memos.
  • Court and detention program support: prepare materials, attendance records and logistics for supervised group sessions inside facilities.
  • Data work: build and maintain de-identified datasets from public detention, admission and charge data, with a written record of every source and transformation.
  • Case-note discipline: help staff keep program documentation accurate, timely, objective and stored only in approved systems.
  • Resource mapping: verify and update referral resources for families, including legal aid, school re-enrollment, mental health and workforce services.

What we expect from you

  • Enrollment in, or recent completion of, a degree program in criminology, criminal justice, social work, psychology, public policy, law or a related field.
  • Strict confidentiality. Juvenile records, case information and the identity of any young person are never discussed outside the team, photographed, posted or kept on a personal device.
  • Trauma-informed conduct: plain and respectful language, no questions about a young person's charge unless staff direct it, and awareness of how your presence affects a child in custody.
  • A cleared background check, safeguarding and mandated-reporter training, and any clearance the facility's agency requires before you enter. Facilities set their own entry rules, which can include a minimum age.
  • Precise writing. Every factual claim in a memo carries a source, and uncertainty is stated rather than smoothed over.
  • Reliability. Facilities run on fixed schedules, and a late arrival can cost a group its session.

What you will gain

  • Supervised field experience in juvenile court and detention programs, with a structured debrief after each session.
  • Applied policy research that contributes to published We The Revolt work, acknowledged where your contribution is substantive.
  • Training in safeguarding, mandated reporting and trauma-informed practice.
  • A written evaluation at the close of the term and, on successful completion, a professional reference from your supervisor.

Deliverables

  • Two fully cited policy memos of 1,500 to 2,500 words each.
  • One de-identified dataset with a data dictionary and a source log.
  • A verified referral resource guide for one county.
  • A final reflection connecting your field experience to your academic discipline.

Apply for this track

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