Intern | Courtwatch PG - Life After Release

 

Intern
Location: Suitland, MD & PG County Courts

Courtwatch PG is looking for multiple interns to support their Accountability and Database Committees. Courtwatch PG is a growing community of volunteers from Prince George’s County, Maryland and the surrounding Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area — and beyond. We observe bail hearings in PG County District Court to document our county’s policies in action and to hold judicial actors accountable for injustice in the court system. Courtwatch PG is powered by Life After Release, and founded and led by formerly incarcerated Black women. We courtwatchers represent all ages and backgrounds. We are joined by the call to anti-racist action and by faith in abolitionist futures.

Three internship opportunities are available:

Courtwatch Student Intern: As a Courtwatch Student Intern, you will play a vital role in promoting transparency in Maryland’s courtrooms. This opportunity consists of attending and observing bond hearings, taking detailed notes, and flagging potential injustices. By serving as an independent community observer, you will help shine a light on practices that often go unseen.

What you will do: Attend scheduled hearings, record accurate observations, and report findings to the Accountability Committee for review. You will help identify patterns such as judicial misconduct, unlawful detention, or barriers to due process.

Skills you need: Attention to detail, strong note-taking skills, reliability, and an interest in justice reform. No legal background is required—training and guidance will be provided.

Letter Writing Student Intern: As a Letter Writing Student Intern, you will directly contribute to holding the legal system accountable through advocacy. This role consists of reviewing flagged hearings, discussing findings with the Accountability Committee, and helping draft professional letters addressed to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, elected officials, and law enforcement. These letters challenge unlawful practices and call for fairer pretrial decisions.

What you will do: Participate in biweekly committee meetings, collaborate with peers to refine advocacy letters, and ensure concerns are communicated clearly to decision-makers. Your writing will have a direct impact on advancing accountability in Maryland’s courts.

Skills you need: Strong writing and editing skills, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate legal or procedural concerns. Students passionate about law, advocacy, or social justice will find this role especially meaningful.

Data Analysis Student Intern: As a Data Analysis Student Intern for our yearly report, you will help transform courtroom observations into meaningful advocacy by collecting and analyzing data. This role consists of entering hearing notes, tracking the number and types of advocacy letters sent, and identifying systemic trends. Your work will help inform reports, community updates, and policy recommendations.

What you will do: Organize and create graphics from data trends, analyze recurring issues in bond hearings, and contribute to reports that highlight systemic injustices. You will help translate individual cases into broader evidence-based calls for reform.

Skills you need: Strong organizational and data entry skills, familiarity with spreadsheets or databases, and the ability to recognize patterns in both numbers and narratives. An interest in research, policy, or data-driven advocacy is a plus.

If you are interested in any of these positions, please send an email to aly@lifeafterrelease.org