Participant Engagement Specialist Job New York New York USA,Non-Profit & Social Impact

Location: New York

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing community safety and racial justice. Since 1996, we’ve worked alongside communities, courts, and those most directly affected by the justice system to build stronger, healthier, and more equitable neighborhoods. With a team of over 900 staff and an annual budget of $130 million, the Center carries out its mission through three core strategies:

Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;

Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn’t; and

Providing expert assistance and policy guidance to reformers across the country and beyond.

Backed by decades of on-the-ground experience and nationally recognized expertise, we bring innovative, practical, and lasting solutions to justice systems nationwide.
Learn more about our work ovatingjustice.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Bronx Community Solutions (BCS), aims to provide community-based alternatives to jail, restore community relationships, and center the needs and dignity of participants while helping them avoid further criminal legal involvement. With programming in the Bronx’s centralized criminal courthouse and the South Bronx community, BCS offers meaningful alternatives to the traditional criminal legal system, providing a variety of services including pre-arraignment diversion and alternative to incarceration programming.
The Restorative Justice Department at BCS has developed several court diversion initiatives centering restorative justice philosophy, providing opportunities for healing, relationship building and repair, and genuine expressions of accountability in lieu of isolation and punishment. These initiatives utilize “circles”, a unique form of communication inspired by indigenous justice and community building practices. Project Reset, a pre-court early diversion program, offers adults who receive desk appearance tickets for low-level misdemeanors the opportunity to participate in a one-time community building circle to resolve their arrest and avoid a criminal record.

BCS also offers same-day at-arraignment programming for eligible individuals to resolve their case through a restorative circle on the day of their court appearance in the courthouse. Finally, BCS provides a more intensive restorative justice diversion and alternative-to-incarceration process for misdemeanor and felony cases involving harm or conflict. This programming brings together the person impacted by the harm, the person responsible, and their community members to discuss the impact of the harm, take accountability, explore underlying issues, and agree upon a pathway forward.

BCS is seeking a Part-Time Participant Engagement Specialist. Reporting to the Restorative Justice Coordinator, the Participant Engagement Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting the outreach and intakes of eligible Project Reset program participants who have received a desk appearance ticket for a low-level arrest and have been deemed eligible for pre-arraignment diversion programming. The Engagement Specialist will engage in a variety of forms of outreach including making cold calls to inform potential participants of their ability to resolve their arrest with the Project Reset program, conduct intakes, and schedule participants for programming, among other responsibilities.

Responsibilities

include but is not limited to:

Conduct cold outreach calls, send texts, and mail letters to eligible participants;
Complete participant intakes and schedule participants for diversion programming;
Track outreach efforts and case notes in the Salesforce data management system and other program systems;
Assist with administrative tasks, record keeping, and participant follow-up as needed;
Research community resources and social services providers to gain knowledge of available services;
Compile and share legal and community resources with participants based on their needs;
Participate in restorative circles and other participant or community programming and events, as needed;
Attend team meetings and any staff training opportunities; and
Support the overall operations of…