Contract Research Editor

Job Type: Part-time

Job Title: Contract research editor

Pay rate: Up to 10 hours a week at $30/hour.

Location: Remote

PJP WILL BE ACCEPTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS UNTIL FRIDAY, MAY 15 @ 2 pm EST.

Prison Journalism Project (PJP) is looking for a part-time contract research editor to strengthen the accuracy and source integrity of PJP’s journalism. The role fact-checks assigned stories in line with the PJP Fact Checking Guide, conducts research and source-finding for editorial leadership, seeks comment from corrections departments on stories that warrant it, and supports PJP’s survey efforts by recruiting nonprofit distribution partners and stewarding survey response collection. First edits may be assigned, time permitting.

PJP is a fast-growing independent, non-profit journalism and education organization that trains incarcerated writers with the tools of journalism, so they can publish widely and contribute to an informed public discourse about mass incarceration.

The contract research editor will work closely with PJP’s editors to improve the accuracy and integrity of our stories, and support our survey efforts.

Key Responsibilities 

FACT CHECKING

• Fact-check up to three assigned stories per week in a timely manner, following the PJP Fact Checking Guide (cadence may vary depending on story volume).
• Suggest rephrasings, attribution changes, and added sourcing to improve precision and accuracy.
• On assigned stories, draft and send comment requests to Department of Corrections press offices and other relevant entities, including non-profit organizations and corporations; track outreach and responses and share updates with the assigning editor.
• Execute all responsibilities with a duty of care lens and a commitment to kind and empathetic communication.

SURVEY SUPPORT

• Identify and onboard nonprofit partners to distribute PJP surveys to incarcerated populations.
• Manage and steward survey response collection.

RESEARCH AND EDITING SUPPORT

• Conduct background research and source-finding as assigned by Editorial Director or Deputy Editor.
• Conduct first edits on stories as assigned and as time allows.

Key Skills

• Equity-Centered Practice — Deep commitment to working with incarcerated populations and supporting work that expands access to journalism and literacy.
• Relationships and Communication — Seamless ability to communicate effectively and kindly in all working relationships, including those with writers, editors and outside sources.
• Editorial Judgment — Strong journalism background to assess claims, identify holes in logic, find high-quality evidence, insist on fairness, propose solutions to tricky problems, and write elegantly.
• Story Management — Capacity to oversee multiple stories simultaneously while staying organized, efficient, and responsive.
• Source Development — Skill and care building and maintaining relationships with external organizations, including spokespeople for corrections departments, nonprofit and academic organizations, and other entities.
• Duty of Care — A strong commitment to, and sense of responsibility for, the safety of PJP writers and the organization itself

Desired Qualifications 

• 2+ years experience working in a newsroom — reporting, fact checking, or editing. Prison newsroom experience is a plus.
• Experience conceptualizing surveys and processing responses.
• Experience working with incarcerated writers
• Google Suite mastery
• Understands the importance of building an equitable and inclusive team and culture 
• Understands the importance of Duty of Care 
• Exceptional time-management and organizational skills
• A strong writer with solid news judgment
• Fluency in English with a masterful grasp of grammar and AP style.
• Fluency in Spanish is a plus.

More About PJP

Prison Journalism Project (PJP) trains incarcerated writers in journalism and publishes their work for a broad public audience. Founded in April 2020, we are the country’s largest publisher of writing from inside prisons.

We publish reported stories, essays and firsthand accounts written by incarcerated people that document daily life inside prisons and the broader systems that shape it. Some pieces are personal reflections, while others are reported journalism based on interviews, observation and research. Together, they provide a grounded, firsthand view of incarceration that rarely reaches the public record.

Our impact so far:

• PJP has published more than 2,600 stories by over 830 writers.
• Our programs reach writers in 44 states across 261 facilities.
• Over 200 writers are currently enrolled in our learning programs, which provides frequent publishing opportunities while they also build literacy, communication and critical thinking skills.

Our writers’ reporting has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Al Jazeera English, USA Today, The Marshall Project and dozens of regional outlets — bringing perspectives to public discourse that are rarely heard. Our quarterly training publication, PJP Inside, is read by over 17,000 incarcerated people per issue.

Many of our writers come to journalism with little prior experience and a wide range of literacy levels. Through accessible assignments and an empathetic editing approach, our learning coaches and editors meet writers where they are and help them develop the skills to report and write clearly. This approach allows us to work with a broad range of contributors — from first-time writers to experienced reporters — and to surface stories that might otherwise remain invisible. The result is journalism that reflects the depth and diversity of life inside prison, bringing forward stories that matter and that convey a truthful, firsthand understanding of the system.

EEOC/Diversity Statement

PJP is an equal opportunity employer. We commit to fostering an environment in which people of all identities are welcomed, valued and supported. We seek to create an organization with diverse voices and experiences that are representative of our society and the communities we serve. Harassment and discrimination in the workplace is not tolerated. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our workplace and encourage all qualified applicants to apply. We promote a climate of mutual respect.

Compensation

Up to 10 hours a week at $30/hour.

Application Requirements 

Please submit:

• A resume. 
• Responses to this questionnaire. [click apply]
• Please do not use AI for any aspect of the application.

We will begin reviewing applications on May 11, 2026.

Questions? Reach out to editorial@prisonjournalismproject.org