Senior Copywriter — Craft the Voice of an Inside-Led Justice Lab

Join the incarcerated-led innovation lab partnering with the Governor’s Office, eL Seed, FaithXLVII, UC researchers, and other leaders across art, policy, and systems change.

We’re looking for a senior copywriter who can translate on-the-ground innovation into sharp, memorable writing that lands with national audiences without flattening the nuance.

What you’ll do (choose a primary track)

This role is project-based. You’ll plug into one primary track to start, with the option to expand once we’ve built momentum.

Track A: Thought Leadership + Op-Eds

• Co-develop op-eds and longform pieces with incarcerated writers, senior communications advisors, and our brand agency
• Shape drafts from interviews/transcripts into publishable narrative
• Build repeatable workflows for voice, review, approvals, and fact-checking

Track B: Website + Brand Copy

• Write and refine website copy in partnership with design, UX, and branding teams
• Create reusable messaging blocks (About, initiatives, FAQs, calls to action, partner language)
• Build a compact voice guide and phrase bank to keep writing consistent across the organization

Track C: Campaigns + Collateral

• Write crisp copy for campaigns, one-pagers, decks, and digital assets
• Support the graphic design team with headlines, microcopy, and narrative structure
• Turn complex work (policy, programs, research) into clear public-facing language

How collaboration works

You’ll work closely with incarcerated leaders at San Quentin and a small outside communications team. Most collaboration is asynchronous and structured: clear briefs, defined review cycles, deadlines, and a shared system for versioning and approvals. You’ll receive source material, interviews/transcripts, and direct access to partners as needed.

Who you’ll collaborate with

• Incarcerated leaders at San Quentin who are driving the work from the inside
• Senior communications professionals advising on narrative strategy
• Our brand communications agency (design + messaging alignment)
• The SkunkWorks graphic design team (visual storytelling + campaigns)
• Policy and legal partners supporting legislative and reform initiatives
• Cross-functional partners across media, art, research, tech, and culture

What we’re looking for

• This role is for someone with a strong track record, not someone starting out.
• 5+ years in copywriting, editorial, communications, journalism, or brand writing
• A portfolio that shows range, clarity, and strategic writing
• Strong collaboration instincts with designers and comms teams
• Ability to translate complex or sensitive material into accessible, powerful language
• Comfort working asynchronously and meeting deadlines
• Familiarity with Monday.com (or willingness to learn quickly)
• Experience with op-eds, campaigns, nonprofit communications, or journalism is a plus

Time commitment

This is a project-based volunteer role. Most of our senior writers contribute around 4–6 hours per week, with flexibility built around the rhythm of the project you join.

You can support a specific initiative — op-eds, the website redesign, a campaign — or continue long-term.