Role Title: Administrative Organizer
Start Date: Early February
Application Deadline: January 16th
About Prison Health News and this role:
Prison Health News is an all-volunteer organization that publishes a free print newsletter for 5,000 subscribers in prison four times a year, rooted in organizing to end mass incarceration and build health justice. Many of our volunteers are health care workers, and we are the only organization that responds to health questions from people in prisons everywhere in the U.S. We are now looking to hire an individual with computer/office skills for a paid, part-time (10 hours/week) position to support our work.
We strongly encourage formerly incarcerated people with lived experience within the criminal legal system to apply. This is a contract position, not a regular employee position, which means that taxes aren’t automatically taken out of your wages—you have to pay them yourself and it may be a larger amount.
This is a one-year contract position funded by a grant, so we don’t know if we’ll be able to continue this position after the year is over. Training will be supportive, clear, approachable and flexible. You can set your own schedule and let us know when you need time off. The position will include a 1 month paid training period after which we’ll discuss continuing with the year-long contract.
We have a great crew of people who are dedicated and kind, and you’ll get to do work that is meaningful and helps people in prison. Movement Alliance Project, our fiscal sponsor, is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and candidates with disabilities to apply.
Duties of the position:
Update mailing list spreadsheet with subscription requests and address changes
Scan letters with health and advocacy questions from people in prison and upload them to google drive to be answered by volunteers
Print and mail letters and health information from PHN volunteers in response to questions from people in prison (paper, envelopes, stamps, etc. provided)
Other tasks that you may be interested in and choose, such working on the newsletter, corresponding with Advisory Board, responding to advocacy letters, or posting to website and social media
Required skills and resources:
Strong ability to operate a desktop or laptop computer, with knowledge of how to trouble-shoot and try different things to attempt to solve technical challenges
Experience using email and confident typing skills
Beginner Excel knowledge/excitement to learn
Beginner Excel skills include: opening a document, saving a document, typing in the correct row, searching a document, formatting a document
Passion for grassroots organizing against mass incarceration and for racial, economic, and gender justice
Ability to work remotely (we can loan you a computer and printer if needed, with an agreement to return them at the end of the year)
A way to get to 47th and Baltimore (in West Philadelphia) once a week to pick up mail
Ability to work in person with PHN volunteers for training period and occasional updates to training
Reliable internet access (unfortunately, we cannot compensate for internet or phone service—we can only cover supplies such as paper, envelopes, stamps, etc.)
Ability to manage multiple work tasks, maintain attention to detail and accuracy, respond promptly to communication from PHN volunteers, and identify and communicate items needing further attention
Skills and experience it would be nice to have:
Personal experience of incarceration, having loved ones in prison, being from communities targeted by mass incarceration, and/or currently working on PHN
Basic knowledge of Google docs, Excel spreadsheets, state and federal inmate locators, Zoom video conferencing, and printing from the internet
Experience organizing for social justice while incarcerated, or community organizing experience. This includes people who were peer health educators, jailhouse lawyers, or hospice workers while incarcerated.
Skill in giving and receiving constructive criticism and making necessary changes
Ability to know when it’s most useful to share information with the group and when to ask for information from the group
A positive, solution-based approach to problem-solving and change
Active interest in working with a multicultural team and comfortable with/celebratory of queer culture
Cares for coworkers and PHN readers as whole people
Able to set boundaries around work to ensure follow-through and reliability and avoid becoming overwhelmed
Compensation:
$300/week for an estimated 10 hours a week doing the deliverables outlined in the ‘duties’ section. The workload may be slightly less than 10 hours on some weeks, but you will be paid the same regardless of whether we are able to give you 10 hours of work.
How to apply:
Contact prisonhealthnews@gmail.com with a short description of why you want this position, a resume, and one reference (does not have to be professional; anyone who can speak to your skills or reliability will be considered).