Published:
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
The ACLU of Washington has many wonderful interns who assist with our work. We would like you to meet some of them.
Mike Archambault is a self-proclaimed “data guy.” As a University of Washington student, he got involved with the ACLU over the summer to help our criminal justice reform work by looking at jail booking data – a notoriously hard-to-analyze set of numbers because every jail has its own data system. He has since completed his thesis on the same subject for his Master’s degree in Public Administration.
Mike has stayed with us and is now an intern with the ACLU-WA’s Policy Advocacy Group. He is helping to research laws that unfairly or disproportionately affect low-income communities. His work includes looking at “'legal financial obligations,” which include all fees, fines, and restitution assessed by a judge in a criminal conviction and the interest accrued; these “LFO’s” are a serious burden for low-income people who are striving to re-enter society.
He is also looking at suspensions for “driving with license suspended in the third degree,” which also disproportionately impact those with limited financial means. People with low incomes may be unable to pay traffic fines and as a result have their licenses suspended. If their license is suspended after they can’t pay, they may feel they have to keep driving as a matter of necessity – i.e., to keep their job or fulfill other obligations – whereas people with a higher disposable income can more readily make other arrangements.
For Mike it is these projects that make the ACLU so valuable. “The ACLU pursues worthy issues that other organizations can't, and steps up to the plate for people who are often ignored,” he says.
When not at the ACLU, Mike also works as a Boeing Engineer, and as an Intern for the ‘Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area’ to help “connect people with retail space in their neighborhoods.” He is also an avid sailor, who was recently part of a three man crew that sailed to Hawaii in 19 days on a Pacific Seacraft 37.
All of this work makes him want to get involved in more local political affairs, perhaps as a legislative aide or working with the city council. He is hopeful that the city will improve, particularly in regards to “rights and equality are for everyone.” He also is interested in improving public transportation and biking in our city, so that he can continue to ride one of his six bikes to work.
