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

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives seeks to reengineer 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, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is a team of social service providers, court-based resource coordinators, and others who seek to improve the quality of justice. By providing meaningful pre-trial supervised release and post-conviction sentencing options, Brooklyn Justice Initiatives seeks to use an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of a participant’s life and avoid the harmful effects of incarceration. 

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is seeking a Senior Facilitator, Restorative Justice. Reporting to the Clinical Director, the Senior Facilitator, Restorative Justice will primarily focus on facilitating restorative programming, including conducting screenings, intakes, preparation sessions, and harm circles, staying in regular contact with participants, sending court date reminders and submitting compliance notices to the court. The Senior Facilitator will provide a restorative justice response to misdemeanor and felony offenses, with a focus on vehicular collisions that result in serious injury or fatality. A restorative justice response includes bringing together the person impacted by the harm, the person responsible, and their support people to address the harm, its impact, and how to move forward. It also includes working individually with the affected parties throughout the process.

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives  strongly encourages and seeks 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.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

  • Facilitating restorative justice interventions for misdemeanor and felony cases from Brooklyn Criminal and Supreme Court, including harm, healing, and support circles;
  • Assisting with identifying eligible cases, including conferencing cases with judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys;
  • Preparing participants for restorative justice interventions and supporting them throughout the process;
  • Providing comprehensive case management services to a caseload of participants to address needs such as substance use, mental health issues, housing, employment, and educational and vocational needs, as well as other challenges in a participant’s life;
  • Conducting intakes and needs-based screenings for newly mandated and voluntary participants;
  • Assisting with scheduling and rescheduling participants for intakes and both on and offsite services;
  • Assisting with outreach to participants and defense attorneys to ensure that all mandated participants are effectively engaged;
  • Collaborating with onsite and community-based service providers to complete referrals and gather accurate attendance reports;
  • Assisting with data entry and ensuring the accuracy of information in the electronic case management database;
  • Monitoring compliance of court-mandated services and providing written and/or verbal compliance reports to court stakeholders;
  • Providing voluntary referrals to address a variety of social service needs;
  • Facilitating trainings for stakeholders on restorative practices;
  • This role also includes facilitating: 1) Driver Accountability Program, a group-based intervention serving individuals who are charged with driving-related offenses with the goal of improving their driving behaviors and preventing future harm on NYC streets; and, 2) Healing Connections, a group-based intervention serving individuals charged with intimate partner offenses, using a circle process. 
  • Interface with stakeholders, including assistant district attorneys, defense attorneys and judges to grow restorative justice programming more broadly in Brooklyn;
  • Provide one-on-one case management sessions and referrals to additional services for a caseload of mandated and voluntary participants engaged in Alternative to Incarceration (ATI) programming, Alternative to Detention (ATD), and Early Diversion programming, on occasion; 
  • Conduct intakes, provide comprehensive case management, facilitate individual and group sessions;
  • Participating in staff meetings and trainings;
  • Assisting with grant reporting requirements, as needed;
  • Attending Brooklyn Justice Initiatives’ and community-based events after hours, as needed; and
  • Additional relevant tasks, as needed.

Qualifications:  

  • Bachelor’s degree or 3-4 years of relevant experience. Advanced degree or training in Social Work, Counseling, Chaplaincy or other related fields preferred; 
  • Three years’ experience with restorative justice and circle facilitation strongly preferred;
  • Experience managing complex conversations around a diverse set of issues including but not limited to violence, conflict, relationships, healing, and racial justice;
  • Experience facilitating psychoeducational and skills development groups and developing curricula preferred;
  • Knowledge and/or lived experience related to the criminal justice system and its impacts on communities preferred;
  • Strong organizational and time management skills;
  • Commitment to, and experience using, holistic and strengths-based approaches, meeting participants where they are, as well as the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-responsive manner;
  • Willingness and interest in engaging people (young adults and adults) with mental health and substance abuse needs;
  • Strong writing and verbal communication skills; 
  • Bilingual (English-Spanish, or other languages) preferred
  • Candidate must be a skilled communicator able to work in a multi-disciplinary setting and maintain strong relationships with multiple agencies and organizations both onsite and in the community.
  • Prior experience with the criminal justice system and/or justice-involved communities is a plus – in particular, experience working with youth and young adults, individuals experiencing domestic violence, mental health issues, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness.

Compensation: Hourly rate begins at $32.64 per hour and is commensurate with experience. This position is eligible for overtime at 1.5x the hourly rate above 40 hours per week. 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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