San Francisco Sentencing Community Initiatives Data Fellow (Summer Intern)

Stipend – $5,000

Reports to: Nora Gregory, Acting Director of Data, Research, and Analytics

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is seeking two Community Initiatives Data Fellows to support neighborhood-based data analysis and engagement with community partners.

Criminal Justice Racial Equity Statement: The San Francisco Community Corrections Partnership, Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council, Reentry Council, and Sentencing Commission prioritize racial equity so that all people may thrive. San Francisco’s criminal justice policy bodies collectively acknowledge that communities of color have borne the burdens of inequitable social, environmental, economic, and criminal justice policies, practices, and investments. The legacy of these government actions has caused deep racial disparities throughout San Francisco’s juvenile justice and criminal justice system. We further recognize that racial equity is realized when race can no longer be used to predict life outcomes. We commit to the elimination of racial disparities in the criminal justice system. The Criminal Justice Racial Equity Statement is a core tenant for data collection, data analysis and dissemination of data to community.

Department Overview
The mission of the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is to promote public safety. District Attorney Jenkins believes responsible reform does not have to come at the expense of public safety. And public safety does not have to come at the expense of reform. The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is committed to balancing both in the promotion of justice and safety for all.

The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office is responsible for restoring accountability and consequences to the criminal justice system in San Francisco. Violent and repeat offenders will no longer be allowed to victimize San Francisco without consequence.  The San Francisco District Attorney’s Office believes in giving offenders the opportunity to address the root causes of their criminal behavior and the opportunity at a second chance.  The office is dedicated to prioritizing the creation of innovative new programs that can also serve as tools for rehabilitation. This includes enhancing the programs that serve as important alternatives to incarceration for offenders who are serious about turning their lives around.

Position Description:

With generous support from the San Francisco Foundation, the SFDA is seeking two college- or graduate-level students with data analytics experience to serve as fellows with the SFDA Data, Research and Analytics, and Strategic Planning and Community Initiatives teams. Fellows will conduct neighborhood-based data analysis to better understand public-safety trends in the City of San Francisco. The fellowship will last twelve weeks and may have the possibility of extension.

Principal Duties and Deliverables:

• Use a combination of data sources to help the SFDA understand neighborhood-level crime and well-being trends through a comprehensive lens to support the development of outreach and education materials for newsletters, web content, emails, and guides;
• Assist with the preparation of reports to SFDA leadership and other key stakeholders;
• Query databases, extract data, clean data, and merge data in preparation for statistical analysis;
• Research performance measurements in the criminal justice field and develop or enhance measures for community well-being;
• Develop strategies to enhance non-criminal justice data collection efficiently and effectively across systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Applicant should be an advanced user of Microsoft Excel familiar with at least one programming language such as R, Python, Stata, or SQL, and comfortable manipulating large data sets (100,000+ rows);
• Prepare well-organized and accurate documents such as reports, memos, and correspondence; synthesize ideas and factual information into clear and logical written statements;
• Speak clearly and concisely in order to express ideas and communicate work-related information to a variety of individuals and groups; listen, ask appropriate questions, and effectively elicit information;
• Identify, research, and gather relevant information from a variety of sources; read and interpret complex written materials; analyze and evaluate data, procedures, interrelated processes, and other information; formulate conclusions and/or alternatives and develop effective recommendations;
• Use work-related computer applications, including e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and the Internet;
• Working knowledge of geographic information systems and spatial analysis is desired but not required;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, commission members, officials, and the general public, including a variety of individuals and groups;
• Able to problem solve and take initiative on tasks;
• Excellent time and process management skills, with follow-up and attention to detail critical
• Ability to multi-task and manage priorities;
• Demonstrates interest, energy, and enthusiasm for criminal justice reform, public safety, and racial justice policy issues, understanding the intersection of these three frameworks;
• Flexible and able to adapt to a fast-paced environment.

All applicants must complete and submit the following materials in one combined .pdf file in the following order:

1. Cover Letter—Please address to Nora Gregory, Acting Director of Data, Research, and Analytics, and indicate the specific program(s) that you are interested in applying for. 
2. Resume
3. Adult Background Investigation Form (Type into the form, save it, print it, and sign it before including it in the .pdf file)
4. A copy of photo identification
5. Writing Sample – No longer than 10 pages in length

Email questions and application material to: SFDAInternship@sfgov.org by Monday, 5/1/2023 at 5:00 pm. All students will be required to complete a Criminal Record Check Information Form with the submission of their application packet. These forms are thoroughly reviewed by our Bureau of Investigation, and students are encouraged to be candid. Acceptance into any one of the Internship Programs is conditional upon the candidate passing a background check. We suggest applying as early as possible.

NOTE: Submissions that fail to meet the previous guidelines will be rejected immediately.

Please note that the applications for the San Francisco Sentencing Community Initiatives Data Fellowship for the Summer 2023 Session are closed.