Director, Restorative Justice Programs

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

The Red Hook Community Justice Center (the Justice Center) is the nation's first multi-jurisdictional community court, hearing criminal, housing and family matters under one roof with a single judge. The Justice Center's mission is to solve community problems: strengthening families, empowering youth, preventing evictions, addressing crime when it occurs, and working to prevent crime before it takes place.

The Red Hook Community Justice Center is seeking a Director, Restorative Justice Programs to oversee court, community and schools-based restorative practice programming at the Justice Center, which currently includes peacemaking, youth-based restorative justice programming; restorative justice diversion from criminal and supreme court; and a federally-funded school-based restorative justice project. Reporting to the Deputy Project Director, Red Hook Community Justice Center, the Director, Restorative Justice Programs will be responsible for developing relationships with key stakeholders, growing restorative justice programming, facilitating restorative justice processes, and supervising and supporting restorative justice practitioners.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead the development and implementation of the Center's restorative justice programming in Red Hook, Brooklyn;
• Supervise and support a team of restorative justice practitioners working on distinct projects;
• Conduct outreach with criminal legal system stakeholders to identify eligible cases, including conferencing cases with judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys;
• Design and implement restorative justice training and programming in a school setting;
• Develop and maintain relationships with Department of Education stakeholders, including school principals, teachers, students, and the broader community;
• Work closely with the centralized restorative practices team to ensure that program models are responsive to participants and are consistent with restorative justice values and practices;
• Assist with creating and drafting grant proposals and delivering funder reports;
• Provide oversight of and managing case documentation, data entry, and court reporting for all RJ work;
• Oversee and facilitate restorative justice processes including conducting outreach, screening, preparation, and facilitation with both mandated and voluntary participants;
• Facilitate a range of restorative justice processes including harm, healing, support, and community-building circles and community conferences for participants, stakeholders, and site staff as needed;
• Meet the training needs of staff by coordinating external trainers as well as assisting with internally led restorative justice trainings;
• Manage relationships with a range of referral sources to address a variety of social services needs for participants;
• Oversee compliance of court-mandated services and reviewing written compliance reports to be submitted in court, and;
• Other related activities and responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have:

• An advanced degree and 4-5 years of experience or JD and 2-3 years of experience;
• Some experience with restorative justice (practice preferred) and, at a minimum, possess a solid understanding of the framework and principles of restorative justice and its practices;
• Excellent communication and group facilitation skills and willingness to try new and different approaches to engagement and group-based work;
• Interest in and experience with managing people and projects;
• Must be able to work with people from a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds;
• Experience having complex conversations around a diverse set of issues including but not limited to violence, conflict, intimate partner violence, healing, and racial justice;
• Must possess the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-competent manner;
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to collaborate with a variety of different stakeholders and members of the community, and;
• An approach to system-change work that includes humility, humor, and steadfastness to one's values are a huge plus.

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.