Overview

THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Court Innovation is committed to reducing crime and incarceration, addressing violence, supporting survivors, and building communities while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center seeks justice for marginalized groups, bringing an equity lens – particularly a racial and gender equity lens – to its work. For 25 years, the Center has worked to foster justice and equity to create safe, healthy, and thriving communities and, ultimately, to transform the justice system.

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
Researchers at the Center conduct independent evaluations, documenting how government systems work, how neighborhoods function, and how reform efforts change things. We believe in the “action research” model; accordingly, our researchers provide regular feedback on the results of the Center’s own operating programs. The Center has published studies on topics including youth in the sex trade, reentry, gun violence, and drug treatment as an alternative to incarceration. Our researchers have been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.

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 for Court Innovation is seeking MAP Engagement Coordinators to support a resident-driven; community organizing initiative in partnership with the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety (MAP). Underway since 2015, MAP is a comprehensive strategy to enhance public safety and strengthen community well-being in 15 public housing developments across New York City. The initiative aims to enhance safety and overall quality of life by strengthening collaboration and capacity among public housing residents. Since 2016, citywide meetings have been convened to share information and data, facilitate community engagement to identify neighborhood priorities, enhance the quality of life and spur collaboration and accountability among city agencies and local stakeholders. 

The Center for Court Innovation serves as an implementation partner for NeighborhoodStat. NeighborhoodStat (NSTAT), the operational centerpiece of MAP, is a community-based, problem-solving process grounded in the belief that public safety cannot exist without the public. It is an acknowledgment that safe and thriving neighborhoods require resident leadership, community and government support, and resources to produce sustainable change. To that end, NeighborhoodStat employs a series of local meetings that engage residents and MAP partners in sharing, analyzing, and using data to identify public safety priorities and implementation of solutions. These meetings, the information they generate, and the actions that follow are an essential part of MAP’s strategy to enhance accountability by providing local residents and stakeholders with considerable resources and access to key decision-makers.

The Center for Court Innovation is seeking an organizer from Polo Grounds Houses in Manhattan, Beach 41st Street Houses in Queens, Brownsville, Van Dyke, Tilden, Langston Hughes, Tompkins, Marcy, Sumner, and Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, and Patterson, Mitchell, Mott Haven, Butler, Morris Houses in the Bronx community who will support residents, community partners and local city agency representatives through the process of identifying and solving issues that create vulnerabilities in community safety and well-being. The MAP Engagement Coordinator will lead the planning and implementation of NeighborhoodStat at their designated site.  The MAP Engagement Coordinator is expected to: 

  • Recruit and retain a team of local residents and support building their capacity in policy and placemaking, organizing and advocacy, and other relevant competencies; 
  • Facilitate the implementation of resident-led community-building projects;
  • Work in partnership with the Program Administrators to coordinate city agencies to respond to community needs via all aspects of the NeighborhoodStat process;
  • Promote positive cultural norms around behavioral change to maintain community-led public safety; and
  • Use data to inform resident-led strategies that promote community safety.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Organizing and Direct Action

  • Recruit and manage a diverse resident team: representative of the development’s diverse subgroups, including religious affiliations, ethnic identities, cultures, languages, age groups, and histories of community organizing and civic engagement;
  • Develop and retain a comprehensive engagement plan, with a clear strategy, benchmarks, and outcomes, to create partnerships and gain a solid understanding of key community priorities; 
  • Attend in-person, teleconference, virtual meetings, and community events, including; precinct council meetings, community board meetings, and Tenant Association meetings;  
  • Conduct research and engage experts to create meeting and action agenda’s that introduce residents to a variety of interventions strategies and/or frameworks for community organizing and problem-solving;
  • Facilitate resident and stakeholder planning meetings that support engagement, problem identification, problem-solving, practice and action steps, and memorialize plans in a centralized, digital platform; 
  • Lead facilitation of resident team meetings and manage meeting invites, agendas, note taking, and resident task support and execution;
  • Plan, lead and co-facilitate public community meetings and direct action organizing activities, as appropriate with MAP Initiative Managers; meet regularly with Initiative Managers to organize and strategize resident action items for MAP Initiative Managers to address with city agencies; 
  • Co-facilitate and co-organize, with MAP Initiative Managers, city agency, and community partner meetings, and represent resident concerns and proposed solutions; 
  • Track action steps by recording, consolidating, and sharing meeting notes with key strategic partners; including government partners, NYCHA representatives, local partners, elected officials, team members, and the resident public; 
  • Host an annual resident-led development-wide community participatory process with support from key organizational staff, and government partners by engaging residents in idea generation and voting; and, subsequently, informing the public of chosen projects and engaging residents in project design and implementation; 
  • Champion ongoing community outreach and communications to raise awareness of residents’ priorities, placekeeping projects, and policy recommendations; 
  • Work with the Communications Manager to leverage traditional media, social media, and public education campaign strategies to share updates, action steps, and resident priorities and activities; 
  • Support resident voice and resident advocacy for policy change by defining challenges and identifying opportunities to practice or voice solutions; 
  • Support the recruitment of youth council members,  provide community context for policy recommendations, and incorporate the youth agenda into resident meetings, when relevant. 

Project  Development and Management

  • Support resident teams in the development and execution of maintenance plans for existing placekeeping projects;
  • Co-develop an annual resident-led project (social program or placekeeping project) with support from key organization staff;
  • Plan, coordinate, and execute place-keeping activities, community events/meetings, and direct action activities to address and advocate for community needs and concerns. 

Research and Evaluation 

  • Track and evaluate ongoing organizing strategies by completing Weekly Activity Logs; 
  • Complete a comprehensive, monthly narrative report detailing strategies, problem-solving approaches, set-backs, and outcomes;
  • Ensure continuity and progress of resident organizing goals through the consistent creation, filing, and distribution of meeting agendas and meeting minutes in a digital, designated, and centralized location;  
  • Collaborate with other staff and team members to implement systems that support effective project planning and data collection. 

Referral Support 

  • Build knowledge-base and relationships with local social service providers, and NYCHA and City resources to create a strong referral network; 
  • Recruit and inform the resident team, resident public, and local partners of the Community Resiliency seminars in a timely manner while polling for interest and feedback, and answering questions about training logic and content. 

Administration  

  • Work and communicate closely with organization staff, and the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice to support and advance all project tasks and timelines; 
  • Support in the collection, input, and processing of all necessary documents for resident and volunteer stipends by completing and maintaining stipend agreements, stipend logs, and tracking attendance; 
  • Submit resident stipend payments to organization staff for processing;
  • Work with organization staff to plan and purchase for engagement and project activities;  
  • Other duties, as necessary. 

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 3 years in a related area, preferably community engagement/organizing and/or community development. The ideal candidate will be passionate, skilled, and experienced in working with communities to promote health and safety. Other requirements include:

  • Demonstrated success leading logistics, identifying and achieving project goals, quickly, effectively, and successfully in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment; 
  • Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary environment, create collaborative relationships with colleagues, and work/communicate well with multiple department leaders;
  • Superb facilitation skills to identify community issues, needs, feedback, and preferences in a timely manner; 
  • Superior project and time management skills, highly organized, detail-oriented and meticulous about quality, accuracy, and timeliness; 
  • A dynamic personality with a strong desire to lead and public speaking skills; 
  • Exceptional analytical, written and oral communication, presentation, and writing skills;
  • Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with governmental and community agencies, non-profit organizations, and community groups; 
  • Demonstrated success in community organizing, grassroots/neighborhood advocacy, and lobbying campaigns;
  • Professional experience engaging multiple public housing communities;
  • Strong aptitude for interpreting data and data trends; 
  • In-depth knowledge and familiarity in and around assigned site locations;
  • Sound ability to work with diverse communities in an empathetic, comfortable and non-judgmental manner; 
  • Flexible schedule with the ability to work some weekends and evenings; 
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint, Google Suite;

Compensation: Salary starts at $65,000 and is commensurate with experience.  The Center for Court 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 Court Innovation is an equal opportunity employer. The Center does 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 seek 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.

As of September 9, 2021, all new hires are required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for medical, disability or religious reasons by the Center’s Human Resources Department.

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. Only applicants under consideration will be contacted. No phone calls please.

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