Working for Evie Litwok at Witness to Mass Incarceration (WITNESS) has been an experience of growth and opportunity. Being part of an organization run with such true passion and connection to the important work being done has been deeply rewarding and valuable. In addition to performing job responsibilities as a grant-writing intern, Evie took the time to educate the team of interns on the system of mass incarceration, from first-hand accounts, interviews, and other resources, facilitating dialogue and giving us a connection to the work we are doing.

I found that at WITNESS, the enthusiasm that you put in will be given back to you. For instance, when I expressed interest in taking on additional responsibilities, I was given articles to write in addition to grants, which eventually led to my writing being published for MSNBC. This was an opportunity I would have never achieved if not for the support I received from WITNESS, and I felt like my confidence and abilities as a writer grew tremendously in my time writing grants and receiving constructive feedback.

Evie is incredibly inspiring to work beneath; it’s amazing to see someone so deeply connected to the work being done, who has such strong passion, sets ambitious goals, and refuses to back down. Working at events and meeting the formerly-incarcerated community which we serve allowed me to see firsthand the importance of what the organization does, and how incredible the community bond is. Being a part of the WITNESS team was an experience I am beyond grateful to have had and I am happy to say I will carry everything I learned with me into future endeavors.

In the fall of 2023, I interned for Witness to Mass Incarnation as a member of the Journalism Team. I was immediately immersed in a community of passionate change-makers at the guise of the dedicated and knowledgeable founder and executive director, Evie Litwok. Through planned weekly group lessons, interns learned and openly discussed the flaws of the criminal justice system and ways we can fix them. Our work felt meaningful and motivated my writing to highlight the stories of formerly incarcerated individuals and assist Witness’s efforts in the organization of planned events and initiatives in the fight for criminal justice reform.

Working for Evie Litwok at Witness to Mass Incarceration (WITNESS) has been an experience of growth and opportunity. Being part of an organization run with such true passion and connection to the important work being done has been deeply rewarding and valuable. In addition to performing job responsibilities as a grant-writing intern, Evie took the time to educate the team of interns on the system of mass incarceration, from first-hand accounts, interviews, and other resources, facilitating dialogue and giving us a connection to the work we are doing.

I found that at WITNESS, the enthusiasm that you put in will be given back to you. For instance, when I expressed interest in taking on additional responsibilities, I was given articles to write in addition to grants, which eventually led to my writing being published for MSNBC. This was an opportunity I would have never achieved if not for the support I received from WITNESS, and I felt like my confidence and abilities as a writer grew tremendously in my time writing grants and receiving constructive feedback.

Evie is incredibly inspiring to work beneath; it’s amazing to see someone so deeply connected to the work being done, who has such strong passion, sets ambitious goals, and refuses to back down. Working at events and meeting the formerly-incarcerated community which we serve allowed me to see firsthand the importance of what the organization does, and how incredible the community bond is. Being a part of the WITNESS team was an experience I am beyond grateful to have had and I am happy to say I will carry everything I learned with me into future endeavors.

Working for Witness this summer has been an enlightening experience. Going into this internship, I had sympathy for the cause and a loose understanding of the issue of mass incarceration. That sympathy and understanding was completely transformed into something bigger because I actually got to speak and work with formerly incarcerated individuals.

Being on the journalism team, I spent hours listening to interviews between Evie and various formerly incarcerated people. Their stories were inspiring and I was honored to be able to put them on paper as best as I could. Our Suitcase Sunday event was an incredible gathering of formerly incarcerated business owners. I got to speak to many of them and hear their journeys from incarceration to entrepreneurship. Each business was not just working to advance themself, but to advance the entire community of formerly incarcerated people.

Marion, who makes beautiful tote bags, handed me a card to write to a woman getting out of prison. When I handed it back to her, she tearfully gave me a hug and thanked us for the work we are doing. That was a big moment in realizing how truly passionate this community is in changing the system and creating a better future. The main thing I have learned at Witness is that you cannot understand the issue until you get close to it. Working at Witness is an amazing way to do that.