Court Liaison, Supervised Release Program

Overview

The Center for Justice Innovation (CJI) 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, CJI carries out its mission through operating programs, original research, and policy guidance.

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives (BJI), the largest operating project of the Center, seeks to re-engineer the experience of criminal court in Brooklyn, New York, by providing judges and attorneys meaningful alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. BJI is a team of social service providers, court-based resource coordinators, mental health practitioners, compliance specialists, and others who seek to improve the quality of justice.

Supervised Release offers an alternative to jail by providing pretrial supervision, case management, and voluntary social services to people charged with misdemeanor and felony offenses. Program participants are monitored to ensure their appearance at court dates and mandatory programming, and receive referrals to services like job training, drug treatment, and mental health counseling.

Learn more about our work ovatingjustice.org.

BJI is seeking a Court Liaison, Supervised Release Program. Reporting to the Supervising Court Liaison, the Court Liaison will coordinate with court stakeholders to ensure the successful release of program participants to the Brooklyn SRP. The Court Liaison will review all available court-related information about each participant released under supervision to complete the necessary paperwork. Once participants are enrolled in programming, the Court Liaison will provide written and verbal updates to the court, including defense attorneys, assistant district attorneys, and judges, on a regular basis.

The Court Liaison also covers various Criminal and Supreme Court parts across multiple locations, including specialized court initiatives and arraignments. Specific responsibilities include conducting program orientation with all participants released into the program and representing the program model during arraignment proceedings and post-arraignment appearances.

• Serve as a liaison in the Brooklyn arraignment, all-purpose, treatment, supreme court, and trial court parts to act as a representative of the BJI operating program and to facilitate the release of participants onto supervised release;
• Review internal and court databases to obtain documents and information about current or potential releases for direct practice staff to create an accurate case management file for participants released into the SRP;
• Conduct program orientations to explain program responsibilities and verify additional participant information;
• Cultivate relationships with all relevant court personnel, such as judges, attorneys, and court officers;
• Present program model and requirements to court stakeholders;
• Distribute provisions to participants as needed and maintain accurate documentation for these processes;
• Collaborate with departments such as Compliance, ATI, and Clinical to ensure that information about SRP participants is communicated effectively;
• Appear during subsequent court dates to provide compliance updates to the Court and collect information regarding any updated conditions or mandates imposed post-arraignment;
• Determine supervision level based on bail eligibility according to recent legislative changes to NYS bail laws;
• Maintain appropriate participant information in electronic databases and hard files, including court orders and outcome information;
• Assist senior staff with developing and implementing new programs, protocols, initiatives, and interventions as well as maintaining existing projects necessary for accurate data collection;
• Provide weeknight 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; and
• Other relevant…