The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska is looking for an Investigator who will pursue leads of suspected civil rights violations within the prison system and find, contact, and interview affected parties. Information collected by the investigator will be used publicly, using various storytelling techniques, and internally to support both legal and policy advocacy strategies. This role will be responsible for leading research, relationship building, and data collection on the state of the criminal legal system and will be hyper focused on Alaska’s prison industrial complex. They will report to the communications director as an integral member of our team’s mission to expand and defend civil liberties throughout Alaska and beyond.
Investigative Research
- Use public records requests (Freedom of Information Act, etc.) and other research tools to obtain critical information to advance investigative objectives, which may include litigation.
- Identify sources and conduct interviews to obtain critical information and develop stories that humanize complex policy issues and shape public opinion.
- Visit jails and prisons, and other relevant locations throughout Alaska to meet with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, public officials, and other stakeholders (e.g. programming and care providers) to uncover civil liberties and human rights violations.
- Work in conjunction with colleagues to tap into coalitions and relational networks.
Reporting/Writing
- Collaborate with ACLU staff to conceptualize, write and edit original and compelling investigative stories for publication in blogs, newsletters and other media.
- Work closely with the legal and policy departments to leverage research findings for potential litigation and policy initiatives.
- Produce a toolkit to educate and inform policymakers and other opinion leaders and lead events to promote the project.
- Committed to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, goals and programs. Preference will be given to applicants with an understanding of issues facing communities directly impacted by the criminal legal system, police violence, and economic injustice, either through personal lived experience or prior work experience.
- Previous experience conducting fieldwork, conducting in depth interviews, and/or investigations.
- Experience collecting public records from government agencies and basic knowledge of Alaska’s public records laws.
- Strong storytelling sense that includes writing narratives accessible to a general audience.
- Experience compiling, analyzing and visualizing data using technology and social media to source investigations.
- Commitment to racial and other forms of equity, both internally in our organization and externally in the communities that we serve.
- Awareness of, and willingness to engage in, the difficult and transformative work of challenging systems of oppression, institutional and structural racism, and implicit bias.
- Ability to edit the work of oneself and others with a collegial spirit to correct grammar and sharpen prose.
- Willingness to work occasional overtime or irregular hours, including some weekends.
- Fluency with computers, Adobe (PDF), Microsoft Suite.
This is an exempt, full-time, at-will position, funded through at least March 2023. The salary range is $55-65,000 and includes excellent benefits, including health, dental, disability, and life insurance, a 401(k) plan with an employer-match, and generous vacation, sick, and holiday leave. The ACLU of Alaska also offers a stipend to help defray moving costs where appropriate.
If this seems like you, please email your
- résumé;
- a professional writing sample that has not been substantially edited by others;
- three professional references; and
- a letter describing why you think you’d be great at this job to [email protected] with the subject “Researcher.” Please state in your letter how you learned of this position.
To be assured of consideration for the position, interested applicants should apply before 6:30 p.m. on February 15, 2022. Applications received after that date will be considered if the position remains available.
The ACLU of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer and values a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, and record of arrest or conviction.