Data & Research Fellow

Job title: Data & Research Fellow

Location: Remote or hybrid, Washington, DC

Classification: Temporary, full-time

Organization: Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth (CFSY)

Due: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. All applications submitted by the priority deadline of April 18 will receive full consideration.

Position Available: Late Spring/Early Summer 2025

Overview of the position:

The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth is hiring a Data & Research Fellow! Founded in 2009, CFSY advocates to ban life without parole for children in the United States, and create opportunities for those directly impacted by extreme sentencing to thrive and lead. The Data & Research Fellow is integral to the work of the Legal Policy Department, providing critical support in the areas of research, writing, and data tracking.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Conducting research for the Legal Policy Team, including monitoring current developments in the area of extreme sentencing for children via legislation, court cases, administrative law, academic research, and news media;
• Identifying patterns and trends in current developments, including opportunities for CFSY to engage in meaningful reform;
• Collaborating in the research, drafting, and data of publications, including written reports and educational resources;
• Supporting the management of state-based portfolios of data of people serving lengthy sentences since childhood;
• Supporting pro bono coordination efforts, including managing information and coordinating with law firms and pro bono litigators; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Commitment to criminal and youth justice issues, particularly reform to harsh youth sentencing practices in the United States, racial discrimination in the youth justice system, and/or human rights in the United States;
• Experience/Interest in applied social justice research, particularly to advance policy reform and advocacy;
• Experience conducting research across a variety of platforms (such as legal databases like LexisNexis or WestLaw and academic databases like JSTOR, PsychINFO, and Springer);
• Experience using database management systems (such as Excel, Google Sheets, and Airtable);
• Experience with quantitative analysis software (i.e. SQL, SPSS, SAS, Stata, etc.);
• Familiarity with collecting and/or analyzing qualitative data to identify themes;
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to translate technical information into written materials accessible to a wide variety of audiences;
• Well-developed organizational skills;
• Maturity and reliability;
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and listening skills;
• Willingness to take direction and work as a team – friendly and courteous, willing to work as part of the larger community efforts to end lengthy sentences for children;
• Excellent data and research abilities (Candidates selected for interviews will be asked to complete a brief sample assignment); and
• Educational background in areas including law, public health, or social sciences (epidemiology, sociology, political science, etc.) Relevant work or life experience will be considered in addition to and in lieu of formal degrees.

Values and Traits:

• Strong interest in criminal legal reform, particularly ending harsh youth sentencing practices, racial discrimination, and human rights abuses in the United States;
• Belief that our society has failed the children impacted by life without parole and other extreme sentences, and that we all have a responsibility to create avenues for their restoration and that of our entire community;
• Belief in the inherent good, dignity, and humanity of all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, class, education level, zip code and more; and belief that every one of us is more than the worst things we’ve done or experienced;
• A willingness to learn;
• Flexible and willing and able to adapt to the evolving nature of CFSY’s work;
• Constructive and optimistic; confronts problems with the expectation that a solution exists; and
• Prioritizes self-care.

Location and Travel

The CFSY’s headquarters are in Washington, DC, with many staff working remotely throughout the country. Candidates from the metro-DC region are strongly encouraged, but all qualified candidates will be seriously considered. The Data & Research Fellow can work remotely, and is expected to travel occasionally (approximately 3-4 times per year) for all-staff gatherings. In accordance with CFSY internal policies, all required home-office technology, equipment and supplies, and all business related travel is paid for by the CFSY.

Physical Environment and Equipment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone;
• Specific vision abilities include close vision requirements due to computer work;
• Ability to effectively use a telephone, including mobile phone; computer (with Microsoft and Google applications); keyboard; and video conferencing.