The Criminal Justice Institute is accepting applications for an Independent Clinical placement focused on CJI’s medical parole project. Also known as compassionate release, medical parole is a recently-enacted statutory path to decarceration for terminally ill and incapacitated individuals in MA prisons. However, the pathway is fraught with barriers to release. Despite efforts in the State House and the Courts, individuals are not being successfully identified, represented and released. CJI will combine systemic advocacy and direct representation of individuals petitioning for medical parole in order to pursue the full promise of the compassionate release mechanism. Under the supervision of a Clinical Instructor, the Independent Clinical student will work collaboratively with CJI’s social work team, at the intersection of healthcare, policy, and the criminal legal system.
Interested students should submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample by Wednesday, August 18, 2022 to: Lia Monahon, Clinical Instructor, CJI, lmonahon@law.harvard.edu. Students will be contacted for an interview. Once selected, students must submit an independent clinical application.