Smart Justice Fellowship
ACLU of Minnesota
Award: $2,000
Deadline: Aug 1, 2026
The 2025-2026 Smart Justice Fellowship will run for ten months (September 2025 – June 2026) and will consist of ten meetings (one per month) aimed at training Fellows to become organizers and leaders in their communities. Meetings will mostly be remote, with certain in-person meetings at the ACLU of Minnesota’s office in Minneapolis. The classes will be taught by a selection of community experts, and will focus on topics such as… Organizing community actions Navigating coalitions Interacting with elected officials and policy makers Communications Canvassing/phone banking Building relationships with judicial officials The history and present of mass incarceration in Minnesota, including immigration detention The ACLU-MN’s Smart Justice policy platform, which aims to (1) shrink Minnesota’s incarcerated population by 50% and (2) reduce racial inequalities within Minnesota’s incarcerated population Qualifications: We are seeking candidates who are… Passionate about criminal legal reform Motivated to protect and expand the rights of incarcerated Minnesotans, Minnesotans on parole/probation, and/or Minnesotans facing immigration detention Driven to be a visible leader advocating for the interests of Justice-Impacted Minnesotans, both in their home communities and across the state Directly or indirectly impacted by Minnesota’s criminal legal system (for example: you have been arrested, convicted of a crime, incarcerated, on probation/parole, held in immigration detention, or have been significantly impacted by a close family member experiencing these things), or who have experienced harm or hardship due to U.S. immigration enforcement This fellowship is meant for aspiring Justice-Impacted activists of all experience levels across the state of Minnesota; we especially encourage applications from candidates who… Are already participating in a campaign or coalition focused on criminal legal reform or immigration detention Have professional experience working in the recovery field (for example: as a CPRS) Are based in Greater Minnesota (outside of Hennepin and Ramsey Counties) Selection criteria: Participation in meetings. How to apply: Follow the link under "Application Instructions" https://www.aclu-mn.org/en/jobs/2025-2026-smart-justice-fellowship
Eligibility
- States: MN