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 Court, 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

The Center seeks to reduce and prevent system involvement and interrupt intergenerational cycles of trauma—especially for parents with very young children at a critical and vulnerable stage of brain development—through tailored interventions. The Strong Starts Court Initiative—operating in all five New York City counties, Westchester, and launching in Erie County this fall—provides support and addresses the needs of young children and their parents/caregivers as they navigate abuse and neglect cases in Family Court. The Parent Support Program works with parents with child support cases in all five boroughs to address economic and social barriers to supporting and engaging with their children. The Families First Court Initiative works with adolescents on all Family Court case types in Dutchess County to reduce the use of congregate care, interrupt cross-system involvement and prevent future criminal court involvement. The Westchester Education Initiative helps court-involved parents navigate educational systems and entitlements. The Bronx Child Trauma Support Program provides trauma-focused psychotherapy to court-involved children and adolescents who have been victims or witnesses to violent crime. And in July, the Center launched the Young Parent Initiative at the Brownsville Community Justice Center in Brooklyn, which will leverage the expertise of the above programs to help young parents provide economic and social supports for their children and reduce and prevent system involvement by cultivating supports in communities.

To broaden the reach and impact of Strong Starts with a new initiative, the Center plans to increase synergy and enhance coordination across systems and Center programs serving parents of young children through the creation of the Parent Support Hub (Hub). While the Hub is a new initiative, it will operate as a part of Strong Starts and draw on Strong Starts’ extensive expertise and experience, as well as the expertise of other in-house Center programs that work with children and parents. The Hub’s coordinated approach will build the capacity of Strong Starts to address the needs of parents upstream and across systems and Center programming so they can safely care for their children; avoid child welfare involvement and its negative impacts; pursue economic security and mobility; and interrupt cross-system and intergenerational cycles of poverty, trauma, and system involvement.

The Center’s Family Court Operating Program department is seeking an Associate Director to support the development and creation of the Parent Support Hub (Hub). Reporting to the Senior Director of Family Court Programs, the Associate Director will oversee the development of the Hub and strategic planning for both the Hub, the larger Strong Starts project and related family court programming.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Development and Strategic Planning

• Support the development of the mission of the Hub project and develop a Center-wide coordination plan to implement the Hub with clear benchmarks and outcomes;
• Conduct outreach and strengthening partnerships across systems and the Center’s court- and community-based programs serving parents;
• Assist in further developing the theory of change and designing ways to measure the impact of the project on the field to find support in New York City and State budgets for project growth and long-term sustainability for both the Hub and the larger Strong Starts program;
• Support fundraising strategies, grant writing, and conduct outreach to government partners to generate interest in Strong Starts and the more upstream Hub work, expand capacity, and garner additional public sources of support;
• Collaborate with Family Court Program’s leadership to implement systems that support effective project planning, operations and staff development; and
• Support Family Court Program’s collaborations with the Center’s various operating projects.

Capacity Building & Department Management

• Work with Family Court Program’s leadership to ensure projects have the information, resources, and tools they need for program implementation, and provide technical support (strategy and troubleshooting) when needed;
• Develop and maintain capacity building and project management tools such as retreats, action plans, training documents, toolkits, fact sheets, timelines and calendars, manuals, site audits, and access to local and national conferences; and
• Regularly support and assess the impact of Family Court Program’s cross-site collaboration.

Research and Evaluation

• Work with Data Analytics and Applied Research (DAAR) team to complete a needs assessment across systems and the Center’s court and community-based programs to understand the needs of parents in a variety of contexts and break down silos;
• Support the development and implementation of tools such as surveys, focus groups, and pre and post evaluations.

Administration

• Work and communicate regularly with Family Court Program leadership, project staff, Center administrative staff, and stakeholders to advance project timelines and tasks;
• Support streamlining operations between Family Court Programs and the Center’s administrative teams;
• Create a process to provide Strong Starts clinical consultations and support for systems and the Center’s court- and community-based programs serving parents with young children;
• Support implementation of the Hub’s physical location in Brownsville, Brooklyn, co-located with Young Parent and RISE, where services for parents with young children are facilitated and coordinated; and
• Other duties, as necessary.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have:

• An advanced degree and 4-5 years of experience or a JD and 2-3 years of experience or a master's degree along with eight or more years of experience or a bachelor's degree and ten or more years of experience;
• Management or leadership experience in non-profit or government organizations strongly preferred;
• Demonstrated experience developing strategic planning tools;
• Experience with development and writing;
• Candidates must be highly organized and detail-oriented; Excellent communication skills required;
• Willing to travel within the 5 boroughs and knowledge of NYC neighborhoods;
• Excellent time management and task prioritization skills; Commitment to anti-oppressive practice and a strong pro- Black, anti-racist, and social justice informed lens;
• Background in child welfare and/or Family Court preferred;
• Knowledge of issues related to child protection and child custody cases;
• Knowledge of systems that interface with court-involved families and how to navigate these systems;
• Knowledge of Family Court, CPS and/or foster agency practice; and
• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Position Type: Full-time (occasional weekends, evenings, and holidays)

Position Location: Manhattan, NY with frequent travel to sites across all 5 boroughs

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $86,100 - $120,800 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.