Data Science Intern, Incarceration and Inequali... @ Vera Institute of Justice
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Who We Are
The Vera Institute of Justice is powered by advocates, researchers, and policy experts working to transform the criminal legal and immigration systems. Founded in 1961 in New York City, Vera now operates nationally partnering with communities and government leaders to deliver just, antiracist solutions.
About the Team
The Incarceration and Inequality Project (IIP) combines research, data science, and strategic communications to document how mass incarceration affects economic inequality. A national dataset from various sources will fuel data-informed products like an online visualization tool and interactive data story.
About the Role
This part-time graduate internship supports the development of data products and analytic insights linking incarceration and economic inequality. Work includes data sourcing, preparation, and analysis in close collaboration with the team’s Senior Data Scientist.
Responsibilities
- Data Prep: Process and transform complex datasets from multiple decades.
- Data Analysis: Summarize data quality, create documentation, and perform exploratory analysis.
- Data Sourcing: Identify additional longitudinal, national economic data sources.
- Participate in team meetings and contribute to project tasks.
Who You Are
Graduate student in data science, computer science, statistics, economics, public policy, demography, or related field with experience working on large datasets. Proficiency in collaborative coding using GitHub and interest in addressing systemic inequities in the criminal legal system are key.
Technical Skills
- Python and/or R
- SQL
- GitHub
- Google Cloud Platform (BigQuery & Google Cloud Storage)
- Command Line
Location & Schedule
This internship reports to one of the offices in Brooklyn, NY, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, CA, or New Orleans, LA. Interns follow a hybrid schedule with in-office days on an alternating basis. The position is part-time (15-20 hours per week) between September 8, 2025 and December 12, 2025.
Compensation & How to Apply
This is an unpaid opportunity. To apply, submit a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, explain your passion for criminal justice reform and what you hope to gain from the internship. Applications may be faxed or submitted online. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.
Key skills/competency
- Data Analysis
- Data Preparation
- Data Sourcing
- Python
- R
- SQL
- GitHub
- Google Cloud
- Team Collaboration
- Documentation
How to Get Hired at Vera Institute of Justice
🎯 Tips for Getting Hired
- Customize Your Resume: Emphasize relevant data science projects and skills.
- Highlight Collaboration: Showcase teamwork and GitHub contributions.
- Research Vera: Understand their mission and recent initiatives.
- Prepare Examples: Share specific data processing experiences.