Education and Employment Specialist, Supervised Release Program

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation (formerly the Center for Court Innovation) is a non-profit organization that works with communities and justice systems to advance equity, increase safety, and help individuals and communities thrive. The Center's goal is to identify and resolve as early as possible the challenges that bring people into the criminal and civil legal systems. It does this in a number of ways—by developing and running programs that reduce the need for incarceration and enhance economic opportunity, conducting original research to identify what works, and sharing what we learn from our programming and research with those seeking to transform the justice system around the world.

The Center is an 800-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs

The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research

The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance

The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Staten Island Justice Center (SIJC) seeks to re-engineer the experience of criminal court in Staten Island, New York, by providing judges and attorneys meaningful alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. Operating out of Richmond County Criminal Court along with community-based offices, SIJC is a team of social service providers, court-based resource coordinators, mental health practitioners, compliance specialists, and others who seek to improve the quality of justice. Supervised Release offers an alternative to jail by providing pretrial supervision, case management, and voluntary social services to people charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses, and in doing so, uses an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of a participant’s life, avoiding the harmful effects of incarceration. Program participants are monitored to ensure their appearance at court dates and mandatory programming, and receive referrals to services like job training, drug treatment, and mental health counseling.

SIJC seeks an Education and Employment Specialist for the borough’s Supervised Release Program (SRP). Reporting to the Community Engagement Coordinator, the Education and Employment Specialist will assist participants who are interested in furthering their careers by helping them to identify and access educational and professional development opportunities. This position will leverage considerable knowledge of the public university system, certificate programs, state licensure requirements, resumes, cover letters, interview fundamentals, and expertise in understanding systemic barriers to career advancement for people involved in the criminal legal system to help participants create action plans aligned with their educational and employment goals. Additionally, Education and Employment Specialists will design and facilitate workshops in relevant topics and coordinate referrals to local service providers to maximize participant access to information and services.

The Center for Justice Innovation strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, LGBTQIA community members, as well as individuals with lived experience with the criminal legal system.

• Work with participants and their case managers to understand participants’ employment and educational needs and goals, including any relevant factors such as mental health, conviction history, and other special circumstances to best leverage supports offered by other relevant community-based service providers;
• Provide accurate, up-to-date information, guidance, and support to people interested in exploring career opportunities and options;
  • Provide guidance and support to participants seeking to prepare resumes, cover letters, and prepare for interviews in one-on-one and group formats;
  • Provide information, guidance, and support to participants seeking information or applying for professional licensure, or certification or undergraduate college programs;
  • Assist participants in obtaining identification and vital documents needed to access higher education or complete job applications;
• Develop and facilitate workshops for participants on strengthening resumes and cover letters, skill-building for completing interviews, overcoming barriers to employment due to conviction history, applying to college, conviction history-based college access myths, and other relevant topics;
• Develop and maintain relationships with local college access service providers, particularly those that focus on working with people with accessibility and mental health needs and that serve people with involvement in the criminal legal system;
• Develop and maintain relationships with local colleges to build knowledge about college access programs and to facilitate warm hand-offs;
• Provide referrals and facilitate warm handoffs to community-based agencies who can provide participants with individualized support to help them work towards their educational and career goals, such as Workforce 1, SUNY EOCs, College and Community Fellowship, Howie the Harp, and similar agencies;
• Facilitate information sessions for the direct practice teams to help build knowledge of opportunities and challenges related to accessing employment and education;
• Coordinate onsite workshops and presentations for partners to connect directly with direct practice staff and with participants at BJI sites;
• Work collaboratively with the case management team to effectively maintain accurate and timely data entry and case documentation aligned with the program model, court reporting obligations, and best practices;
  • Consistent case conference with participants’ Case Managers;
  • Ensure that meetings with participants also fulfill the obligations of check-ins and are recorded in the program database;
• Responsible for consistent and effective cross-team communication and collaboration to proactively identify successes, challenges, and opportunities to strengthen programming, create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, maximize internal and external resources and expertise, and substantive and comprehensive services to participants;
• Collect and maintain secure storage of hard copy and electronic documents containing sensitive participant information;
• Required to participate in designated trainings upon hire;
• Attend project events, community events, and meetings after hours, as needed;
• Please note that this role will not hold a standard SRP caseload;
• Additional relevant tasks, as necessary.

• Bachelor’s degree required;
• Two years experience helping people to access employment and/or higher education required;
• Knowledgeable about how to navigating the individual, institutional, and systemic barriers presented by background checks strongly preferred;
• Comprehensive expertise related to accessing higher education opportunities required, including knowledge about how to overcome access challenges and awareness of access myths;
• Knowledgeable about the state’s professional licensure system, particularly as it relates to conviction history preferred;
• Knowledgeable about professional certification programs and affordability preferred;
• Experience working as a college academic counselor or career counselor strongly preferred;
• Knowledge of CUNY and local college and universities academic and financial aid programs, policies, and admissions and enrollment processes strongly preferred;
• Comprehensive knowledge of and/or experience with the criminal legal, child welfare, housing, and/or mental health systems preferred;
• Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills;
• Must be able to work effectively and independently and as part of a highly interdependent, multi-disciplinary team within a fast-paced and dynamic work environment;
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a variety of program stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court staff, and site partner agencies;
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) strongly preferred.

Position Type: Full-time.

Position Location: Staten Island, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $30.22 - $35.72 per hour based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.

The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire. Kindly refer to the job posting for the relevant contact information. If the contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from making inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.