Participant Engagement Specialist

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:

1. Operating Programs that pilot new ideas and address local challenges;
2. Conducting original research to evaluate what works—and what doesn't; and
3. 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 at

THE OPPORTUNITY

Staten Island Justice Center (SIJC) seeks to re-engineer the experience of criminal court in Staten Island, New York, by providing judges and attorneys meaningful alternatives to bail, fines, and jail sentences. Operating out of Richmond County Criminal Court along with community-based offices, SIJC 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, and in doing so, uses an arrest as a window of opportunity to change the direction of a participant's life, avoiding the harmful effects of incarceration. 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.

SIJC seeks a Participant Engagement Specialist for the borough's Supervised Release Program (SRP) which provides supervision, case management, and social service connection to thousands of court-mandated participants each year. Reporting to the Clinical Intake Coordinator, the Participant Engagement Specialist will leverage interpersonal and data-management skills to support participants' successful engagement with the program. The Participant Engagement Specialist will provide outreach to program participants who missed program orientation, intake, and those who have been disengaged for 30 days or more. Additionally, this role will effectively communicate and collaborate with intake, case management, and compliance teams to ensure accurate court reporting and continued program engagement. 

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Complete outreach to all disengaged participants mandated to SRP in Staten Island to re-engage them in the program;
  • Engage in weekly outreach efforts by phone and email to participants and their collateral contacts and defense attorneys to support program engagement;
• Monitor all participants simultaneously assigned bail and SRP, collaborating with the clinical intake team as appropriate; 
• Maintain accurate and timely data entry and case documentation aligned with the program model, court reporting obligations, and best practices; 
• Collaborate with the Clinical Intake Coordinator and the intake, case management, and compliance teams to ensure outreach to all participants whose orientations or intakes are incomplete or who have been disengaged from the program for 30 days or more; 
• Contribute to consistent and effective cross-team communication;
  • Participate in team and inter-team meetings; 
• Participate in individual supervision and regular staff trainings to develop program expertise and related skill sets; 
• Participate in all-staff and departmental meetings to build team cohesion, communication, and morale;
• Attend project events, community events, and meetings after hours, as needed; and
• Additional relevant tasks, as necessary. 

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; 
• Minimum 1 year direct practice or customer service experience required; 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills required; 
• Comprehensive knowledge of and/or experience with the criminal legal and related systems is valued but not required;
• Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills;
• Must be able to work effectively and independently and as part of a highly interdependent, multi-disciplinary team within a fast-paced and dynamic work environment;
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a variety of program stakeholders, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, court staff, and site partner agencies; and 
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) strongly preferred. 

Position Type: Full-time in-person work required; weekend and evening hours required, as needed.

Position Location: Staten Island, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $53,500 - $61,800 and is commensurate with experience. 

Benefits: 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 committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on 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 LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.

At this time, the Center is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.

In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.