Opportunities Available to Students
The John Howard Association of Illinois provides opportunities for student volunteers and internships for college and graduate students seeking to gain insight and experience in corrections and other aspects of the criminal justice system. Student volunteers and Interns may be involved in a wide variety of activities, described below. Interns seeking course credits for work undertaken under the joint supervision of John Howard Association staff and a faculty member at their college or university are particularly welcome, as the staff at John Howard Association are limited in number and time available to students.
The John Howard Association of Illinois invites faculty at criminal justice, social work, and law school programs to arrange to have groups of students participate in John Howard Association visits to correctional institutions.
For law students interested in funded internships, the John Howard Association of Illinois is listed as a program of the Public Interest Law Initiative (“PILI”) which is found on the web at http://www.PILI-law.org.
Activities open to Student Volunteers and Interns
- Participate as a volunteer in Visits to adult prisons and juvenile facilities operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections, the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, or the Cook County Department of Corrections or other local jail authorities. For further information see our “Volunteer” page.
- Applied research projects, including analysis of data relating to jail and prison population and crowding, performance evaluation of correctional programs and other activities, for inclusion in reports to courts, public and private organizations, and preparation of briefing papers and fact sheets for public education purposes.
- Fact-finding and advocacy on behalf of inmates, including response to telephone requests and correspondence from inmates or their relatives and friends.
- Research on issues relating to criminal justice policies and practices.=
- For undergraduates, assistance in office administration and operations; an introduction to non-profit organization.
Eligibility and Instructions for Applying
Students must be enrolled at an accredited college or university, must be in good standing at their school, and must be eligible to participate in extracurricular activities or internships from their college or university administration.
As a condition of participation, students must agree to maintain confidentiality for all information gained during visits to corrections facilities, from discussions with staff or review of information in the John Howard Association of Illinois offices, and/or through correspondence or other contacts with inmates or corrections staff.
Work or visiting schedules for students and interns are flexible and may be adjusted by agreement with John Howard Association of Illinois staff to accommodate academic commitments. Interns are generally expected participate for a minimum period of twelve weeks and to be available to work an average of 20 hours per week. Length and hours of commitment may be determined by project. The John Howard Association of Illinois does not provide salaries or other stipends to interns. The Association ordinarily provides transportation for facility visits and pays related expenses (e.g., meals) but not overnight hotel costs. Other expenses incurred may be reimbursed only with prior approval.
For additional information including an application kit, please contact:
James “Yaki” Sayles
Program Director
John Howard Association of Illinois
300 W. Adams Street - Suite 423
Chicago, IL 60606
Telephone: (312) 782-1901
Email: yaki@john-howard.org
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