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

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI), the largest operating project of the Center, seeks to re-engineer the experience of criminal court in Brooklyn, New York, by providing judges and attorneys meaningful alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. Operating out of Kings County Criminal Court along with community-based offices, BJI 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.
Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is seeking an experienced Director of Pretrial Services to help lead the Brooklyn Justice Initiatives’ Supervised Release program. Following legislative changes in New York State that curtail the use of cash bail and pretrial detention, the Center has seen dramatic growth in the population served through Supervised Release. Brooklyn Supervised Release is the Center’s largest operating program, housed within the Center’s Brooklyn Justice Initiatives project, spans multiple locations and is growing rapidly. Reporting to the Deputy Project Director of Brooklyn Supervised Release, the Director of Pretrial Services will work in close partnership with the Deputy Project Director and senior staff to support and grow existing operations and staff, develop and implement policies that ensure successful execution of the SRP program model. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Oversee Brooklyn Supervised Release’s daily operations at a new community-based site located in Brownsville, Brooklyn;
• Coordinate planning efforts to get the site ready for occupancy and onsite operations, with support from the Deputy Project Director and the Center’s central facilities department;
• Provide direct supervision and support to administrative assistant(s) and other staff onsite;
• Provide daily onsite management, coordination, support, and where needed, task supervision, to staff who report up into other roles, including within the direct practice, community engagement, clinical, and site safety teams;
• Support strategic planning and implementation of programming and services within the confines of court and organizational requirements;
• Work with site leadership to foster a work culture conducive to innovation, operational excellence, team building and respect while overseeing the day-to-day management of BJI’s Brownsville office location;
• Ensure that the pretrial supervision model and evidence-based practices related to pretrial supervision are implemented with fidelity, including working in collaboration with the Center’s centralized Court Reform team;
• Collaborate closely with the Brooklyn Supervised Release Deputy Project Director and other Director(s) of Pretrial Services to ensure consistent services, protocols and policies are being followed across program sites;
• Work closely with the SRP Clinical Director and Director of Practice, as their staff will be the ones responsible for program delivery at the Brownsville site, to ensure Brownsville site staff receive consistent coaching and professional development through their respective directors;
• Oversee consistent and effective cross-team and location communication and collaboration to proactively identify successes, challenges, and opportunities to strengthen programming, create opportunities for meaningful collaboration, and maximize internal and external resources and expertise;
• Provide direct crisis intervention and de-escalation support as needed and ensure appropriate incident reporting is completed as required;
• Work with site leadership, including the Site Safety Coordinator, to ensure that appropriate crisis intervention and de-escalation protocols are in place routinely trained on and consistently operationalized by appropriate staff;
• Support site leadership in identifying operational successes and challenges towards the goal of developing and maintaining responsive and appropriate program policy, structures, and systems; 
• Support site leadership in ensuring consistent quality services to participants, accurate and timely data entry, substantive staff support, effective communication and collaboration, and professional development opportunities for staff; 
• Ensure accurate data management and efficacious reporting and provide oversight of an evolving program model; 
• Work with the Center’s data and research team to support the compliance team and site leadership to ensure staff maintain appropriate and up-to-date participant information in the Center’s Supervised Release case management data system;
• Work with and provide trainings to judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, other court administrators, community leaders and other Supervised Release providers to address and explore challenges and opportunities related to Supervised Release; 
• Prepare grant progress reports and other program reports and attend relevant funder visits and meetings;
• Represent BJI/Brooklyn Supervised Release and the Center at conferences, community events, site visits, and meetings with funders.
• Serve as an active member of BJI’s senior leadership team, support project wide initiatives, and provide professional support to senior leadership members;
• Collaborate with other Center for Justice Innovation projects and executive staff to leverage their services and locations for effective community supervision of program participants; 
• Liaise with the Center for Justice Innovation Court Reform, data, facilities, and administrative teams to ensure consistent program processes across all sites; 
• Provide planning, administrative, and logistical support to all Project offices across Brooklyn as needed; 
• Participate in evening and weekend meetings, events, and programming, as needed;
• Additional tasks as necessary.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have:

• MSW or other post-graduate degree plus 5 years relevant experience; or Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 7-8 years relevant experience; 
• At least three years of relevant administrative, program management, and/or supervisory experience; 
• Experience working in the criminal legal system preferred; 
• Experience working in the social services setting preferred; 
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills; 
• Knowledge of the pretrial services arena, key stakeholders, and current issues and trends is preferred;
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-responsive manner; 
• Exceptional communication skills, including interpersonal, written, and oral.

Position Type: Full time.

Position Location: Brooklyn, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $85,000 - $110,000 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.