Journalist/Writer wanted (Pennsylvania) | $700 to $1,000 per article

COMPANY/PUBLICATION: PENNSYLVANIA INSTITUTIONAL LAW PROJECT

Deadline: 4 March 2024

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) seeks to advance the constitutional and civil rights of people who are incarcerated and detained in Pennsylvania by providing free civil legal services to people in jails, prisons, detention centers, and state hospitals. We engage in direct representation, class action litigation, legal advocacy, and pro se assistance to incarcerated persons. Our organization is committed to ensuring that all incarcerated people have humane conditions of confinement, safety from violence, access to medical care, the ability to observe their religion, and have their disabilities accommodated, among other things. PILP is a small non-profit organization with fewer than 20 staff.

PILP is working on a grant-funded project using storytelling to promote access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) in Pennsylvania jails and prisons. MOUD is the standard of care for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), but it is frequently not provided in jails and prisons, where it is desperately needed. PILP hopes to raise awareness on this issue by highlighting and featuring the stories of incarcerated people with OUD who have suffered without access to this necessary medical treatment while in jail or prison.

The journalist / writer will serve a key role in this project, by interviewing and writing the stories of incarcerated people to be compiled and posted on a website and/or social media with multimedia content.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Interviewing
• Writing
• Other

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated interviewing and writing experience, including telling a story concisely and persuasively online, in print, or as multimedia.
• Strong narrative writing skills.
• Previous experience working with or interviewing people who are incarcerated is preferred.
• Willingness to travel to conduct interviews in person.
• Experience writing about criminal justice issues and/or substance use disorders a plus.
• Experience creating content and videos for social media is a plus.
• Awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations, and especially to people who are currently or formerly incarcerated.
• Commitment to public interest legal work and the role of PILP in advancing the rights of incarcerated and institutionalized people.
• Commitment to working on racial justice issues.
• Strong work ethic, initiative, sound judgment, and organizational skills.

Pay: This position pays $700 - 1000 per story (does not include benefits), depending on experience and location of interviewees. Travel costs for in-person interviews for the story subjects will be reimbursed pursuant to PILP’s travel policy, up to a budgeted amount.

Opening/Closing Date: PILP will accept applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but it is strongly encouraged that applications be submitted by March 4, 2024.

TO APPLY:

Please send a cover letter, resume, references, and at least 2 examples of prior work to the email: jobs@pilp.org, with the subject line “PILP JOBS: Freelance Journalist.”

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, and people who identify as LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities to apply. Bilingual capabilities, especially Spanish, are also a plus.

NON-DISCRIMINATION CLAUSE

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) is an equal opportunity employer. PILP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual or gender identity, age, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

CONTACT INFORMATION (please do not share the email address publicly):

Questions/applications: jobs@pilp.org

Website: https://pilp.org/

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