Resource Coordinator

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

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI), a program of the Center for Justice Innovation, 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 Resource Coordinator. Reporting to a Senior Resource Coordinator, the Resource Coordinator will facilitate the program referral process for BJI’s Supervised Release and Alternative to Incarceration programming. They will review all available information about each potentially eligible participants to determine their specific suitability for all BJI programming. Once participants are enrolled in programming, the Resource Coordinator will provide written and verbal updates to the court including defense attorneys, assistant district attorneys, and judges on a regular basis. The Resource Coordinator is also responsible for providing court coverage to various Criminal and Supreme Court parts, including specialized court initiatives and arraignments. Specific responsibilities include conducting screenings and assessments with participants for all programming, facilitating participant releases and other processes with court stakeholders, and troubleshooting any issues that arise.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serve as a coordinator in the Brooklyn arraignment, all purpose, treatment and trial court parts, to determine eligibility for BJI operating programs;
• Conduct preliminary in-court mental health screenings, program outreach and/or referrals for clinical assessments to determine appropriate treatment options;
• Provide written and verbal case updates in multiple court parts and to court staff;
• Communicate with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and court staff about eligible individuals’ suitability for specific BJI programming;
• Collaborate with a broad range of criminal justice, city government, and community partners;
• Assist with clinical assessments and screenings, as needed;
• Complete intakes and assessments for mandated participants;
• Assist with scheduling and rescheduling mandated participants for both on and offsite groups and community service;
• Ensure that all participants who are mandated to services are connected with their assigned case manager upon their release;
• Provide direct services to program participants or voluntary participants, including group facilitation, as needed;
• Execute crisis intervention protocols to ensure participant safety and connection to appropriate services post-arraignment;
• Escort participants to community-based treatment providers, as needed;
• Provide written and verbal case updates to the court and other court staff, as needed, including compliance reporting;
• Maintain appropriate participant information in electronic databases and hard files, including court assessment, screening, and outcome information;
• Assist with outreach and scheduling regarding participant compliance requirements;
• Assist senior staff with the development and implementation of new programs, protocols, initiatives, and interventions;
• Assist with data collection and management;
• Provide training to participants for overdose response;
• Provide weekday, weeknight, weekend day, and weekend night arraignment coverage on a regular rotating basis;
• Attend required staff meetings and trainings;
• Attend Brooklyn Justice Initiatives’ events after hours, as needed;
• Other relevant responsibilities. 

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree and at least one year of experience working in a criminal court setting and/or human service field or 3-4 years of equivalent experience. Ability to communicate appropriately with varying levels of stakeholders. Highly organized, excellent communication skills, and strong writing ability with the capacity to be detail-oriented within a fast-paced, dynamic environment highly desired. Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft and Google Suites, and be able to use Skype for Business. The ideal candidate will have the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-responsive manner, and work independently and collaboratively, both in-person and remotely. Bilingual (English-Spanish) preferred.

Position Type: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt rotating schedule of day (9:00am-5:00pm), swing (12:00pm-8:00pm), night (5:00pm-1:00am), weekend (day and night) shifts, and some holidays.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $29.15 to $33.29 per hour based on a 35-hour work week 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 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%.