About Our Programs
Reprieve Australia is staffed almost entirely by volunteers. There are two major groups of volunteers:
- local volunteers, who work on discrete issues or campaigns or help administer Reprieve Australia
- overseas volunteers, who are sent to directly assist those facing the death penalty
In order to volunteer with Reprieve Australia, you must be
a member.
Local Volunteers
Reprieve Australia's local volunteer program allows members in Australia to help in the fight against the death penalty.
Members in Australia can join a pool of volunteers working on projects including:
- a Pen Pal program to provide human contact and support to prisoners on death row
- a legal research program to allow appropriately qualified volunteers perform legal research tasks on behalf of indigent defendants in actual capital cases in the US
- a broader research program aimed at developing a database of information about the death penalty and how it is applied in countries around the world
- assisting in the management and content of this website.
- assisting in the production and content of our quarterly newsletter
- assisting in the running of ReprieveAustralia itself
If you're interested in becoming a local volunteer, email us at
contact@reprieve.org.au.
Overseas Volunteers
One of the critical parts of Reprieve Australia's work has been the establishment of an overseas volunteer program. Through this program, Reprieve Australia places members in the United States as volunteer interns to help in the provision of adequate legal representation and humanitarian assistance to indigent defendants facing the death penalty.
Reprieve Australia, through its sister organisation, Reprieve US, places interns in capital defence and associated offices in the southern United States for periods of three months or more at a time.
Since our first placements in November 2001, we have now placed over 40 interns in seven offices in four states in the southern United States. The program continues to grow each year, attracting a mix of students and professionals.
Reprieve Australia overseas volunteers are marked by an unshakeable opposition to the death penalty and a firm commitment to social justice. They possess the maturity and self-sufficiency needed to meet the demands of both the work and placement in a foreign country. Our overseas volunteers have been drawn from the ranks of lawyers, law students and other students. There is no formal qualification required, applicants are assessed on their individual merit.
Overseas volunteers are voluntary and entirely self-funded. While it places, trains and attempts to assist its volunteers wherever possible, Reprieve Australia does not have the resources to financially support them.
If you are interested in the internship program please download this information pack.
If you would like to apply for an internship, please complete this application form, and send it and the required attachments (listed on the form) to contact@reprieve.org.au. If you have any questions on the application process, please also email contact@reprieve.org.au.
