My time at Out For Justice( OFJ) has been an incredibly unique experience. Working at a grassroots nonprofit with only two paid employees meant that I worked more hours than anyone and often had to start projects independently. I ended up being grateful for OFJ’ s work environment. The lack of structure meant I learned how to be proactive and was allowed to take on more responsibility than most summer interns. I really got to know the ins and outs of OFJ and connect one-on-one with their members.
Speaking to members about their experiences with the criminal justice system and helping returning citizens with their resumes and job interviews was important to strengthen our organization’ s ties to our community. I helped plan two membership meetings this summer to discuss OFJ’ s policy agenda for this upcoming legislative session. One of my favorite events of the summer was a town hall we co-hosted with one of our partners, Maryland Justice Project. It was empowering to be in a room alongside justice-involved communities, returning citizens, nonprofit leaders, and community advocates. The moderated discussion about ending the incarceration of women and girls in Maryland taught me a lot about how gender inequality is amplified in the criminal justice system.
Working on many different projects this summer meant developing a diverse set of professional skills. Taking the lead on projects like website design meant improving my graphic design and photography skills. Working on OFJ’ s behind-the-walls case management meant that I gained a better understanding of the daily realities of incarceration and the legal rights of incarcerated citizens. Most importantly, this summer allowed me to deepen my knowledge of Baltimore City and develop meaningful connections with our community members, and I’ m excited to continue to volunteer for OFJ in the fall!
Community Partner: Out For Justice Intern: Jessica Zhang Site Supervisor: Nicole Hanson
What is Out for Justice? Out For Justice is an ex-offender, member led organization that promotes policy reform of policies that adversely affect the ex-offender re-entering into society successfully. Out For Justice strives to change the perception of the ex-offender by promoting the 3 Es, education, empowerment, and engagement.
• Improved member engagement by creating a new member database system, a new texting service to contact members, and a series of weekly email newsletters
• Assisted in building a comprehensive brand image for OFJ by cleaning up their logo, creating brand guidelines, designing marketing materials, posting on their Facebook page, and working on their website design
• Helped with behind the walls case management by writing letters of appeal to local representatives, filing inmate grievances with prison administration and the ACLU, and assisting in petitions for post-conviction relief with the Office of the Public Defender
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