Director of Pretrial Services

The Center for Court Innovation, a project of the Fund for the City of New York, is a non-profit organization that promotes new thinking about how to reduce crime and incarceration while strengthening public trust in justice. The Center creates operating projects, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Court which have been documented to improve public safety and reduce the use of jail and prison. Nationally and internationally, the Center performs original research on topics of justice reform and provides consulting services to criminal justice innovators.

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives, one of the Center’s newest projects, 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.

Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, the Director of Pretrial Services will be responsible for all pretrial services in Brooklyn, including day-to-day operations, supervision and oversight of staff and services provided, and program policies and procedures. The Director of Pretrial services will work with project senior staff to maintain and create relationships with local stakeholders, community leaders, and maintain cohesion across multiple office sites in the borough.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Overseeing all operations for Brooklyn’s supervised release program and assist the Associate Director and Clinical Director of Pretrial services with day-to-day operations as needed;
• Managing a staff of mid-level managers and directors, across multiple office locations, which may include: social workers, case managers, and operational and administrative;
• Providing supervised release program support in the following areas: fiscal operations, event planning and execution, developing new and updating existing safety protocols and materials, policies and procedures for the program, quality assurance, risk management, incident reporting, mandated reporting, and other areas as needed;
• Cultivating and maintaining relationships with the district attorney’s office, indigent defense bars, judges, and other courtroom stakeholders to ensure all program aspects run smoothly;
• Cultivating and maintain relationships with community leaders and members to ensure meaningful community engagement and effective deployment of services in Brooklyn;
• Providing all pretrial staff with professional development, training opportunities, and management support as needed;
• Keeping all project staff informed of latest pretrial research, strategies for participant engagement, training opportunities, and lessons from the field;
• Liaising with program funders and project visitors as needed;
• Collaborating with other Center for Court Innovation projects and executive staff to leverage their services and locations for effective community supervision of program participants;
• Planning, implementing, and maintaining community supervision options and operations outside of Brooklyn Justice Initiatives’ offices;
• Liaising with the Center for Court Innovation Operations, Research, and Jail Reduction teams to ensure consistent program processes across all sites;
• Assisting senior staff in the creation of the supervised release program’s long-range strategic agenda and goals including the coordination of: new pilots or pretrial programs, new grants or initiatives, and with collaboration with other sectors or related disciplines;
• Providing planning, administrative, and logistical support to all Project offices across Brooklyn as needed;
• Managing and interpreting program data and collection for weekly, monthly, or quarterly reports to senior staff and funders for ongoing evaluation of training needs and service gaps;
• Assisting with data analysis as needed for staff, grants, funders, or other reports as well as assisting with grant writing and reporting as needed;
• Synthesizing information from staff meetings, brainstorms, and presentations into memos or briefings for staff or stakeholders;
• Assisting senior staff in identifying program obstacles and develop best practices to address them;
• Other relevant tasks as necessary.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will possess a master’s level degree or higher in a related criminal justice field in addition to at least 5 years of related experience. 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. Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-competent manner is a must. Prior experience with the criminal justice system and/or justice-involved communities is preferred. Specialized experience working with youth and young adults, individuals experiencing domestic violence, mental health issues, substance abuse, and/or homelessness is a plus. Prior supervisory experience is preferred.

Position Type: Full-time, evening hours required as needed

Compensation: Salary starts at $75,000 and is commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package including comprehensive health, dental and life insurance, four weeks paid vacation, paid sick time, TransitChek, Flexible Spending Account plans for health and dependent care, a 403(b) retirement plan and a 401(k) retirement plan with a generous employer match.

The Fund for the City of New York/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.

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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