Current Job Openings at the Justice Center

Click below for full position description:

Project Director, Reentry Policy Council

Contact: Michael Thompson
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: Open until filled

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (www.justicecenter.csg.org) is hiring a project director to help staff the Reentry Policy Council Project, an initiative begun in 2001 to increase the likelihood that people’s transition from prison or jail to the community is safe and successful.

The Reentry Policy Council is an initiative coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center ("Justice Center"), a national nonprofit organization that provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies, informed by available evidence, to increase public safety and strengthen communities. In general, the Justice Center works closely with legislative leaders, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, victim advocates, and others to develop consensus on various, often highly politicized, criminal justice issues and to translate this consensus into comprehensive reports, policy briefs, state and federal legislation, model policies, and innovative programs. Justice Center staff not only develop written and web-based materials but also provide on-the-ground technical assistance to cross-systems policymakers and practitioners from state and local jurisdictions.

This position will be primarily responsible for supervising a team of policy staff members, each of whom will be working on their own projects. In addition, the project director will have responsibility for managing one or two of his or her own project(s). Such projects range from developing guides for policymakers about strategies for ensuring people released from prison and jail have a place to live to delivering technical assistance to state government officials seeking to track the implementation of their state’s comprehensive plan to reduce recidivism.

Duties:
In this context, the project director will have a number of ongoing duties:
  • Supervising a small team of policy staff, providing oversight and advice on project planning, project development, project management, compliance with grant requirements/obligations (including project timetables), personnel issues, meeting planning, budget development, and fundraising;
  • Designing and drafting internal and external memoranda, written reports, and other products as relevant to the project director’s projects, as well as reviewing, editing, and approving such materials as created by Reentry Policy Council staff;
  • Motivating and maintaining a high performance team by working with other senior staff to recruit new staff as appropriate, assuring effective training/development of present and new staff, and evaluating staff performance;
  • Helping to shape and articulate the Reentry Policy Council Project’s long-range policy agenda, including specific initiatives and useful products that can become signature pieces for the Project;
  • Staying abreast of emerging trends within prisoner reentry arena;
  • Working with the communications and government affairs staff to facilitate the involvement of the Project’s varied constituency and efforts with the media and with relevant federal activity, including providing witnesses or interview subjects, drafting talking points, or providing program examples from the field;
  • Maintaining strong relationships with funders, board members, consultants, and partner organizations and cultivating new relationships with these groups, where appropriate;
  • Assuring that the work of the Project is truly national in scope, incorporating perspectives which reach across political, geographic, racial, class-based, and ethnic boundaries;
  • Reviewing and assessing overall Project capacity and efficiency including structure, operations, financial security, and technological systems, particularly in relation to the Justice Center’s other projects, including the Criminal Justice / Mental Health Consensus Project and the Justice Reinvestment Initiative;
  • Helping to assure effective internal communications systems both within the Reentry Policy Council Project and across the Justice Center by encouraging cooperation and cross-fertilization among projects as well as ensuring that senior staff is aware of progress and challenges faced by Reentry Policy Council Project staff/projects;
  • Representing the Reentry Policy Council (or particular projects of the Reentry Policy Council) through participation in and/or presentations at meetings of policymakers and practitioners from the criminal justice system or their non-criminal justice partners.

Education/Experience:

  • Superior research, writing, and editing skills;
  • Strong oral communication skills, including the ability to effectively present complex information in a concise way;
  • Demonstrated success designing new projects and securing funding for them
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, including maturity, keen judgment, and self-confidence, with a sense of humor and ability to maintain balance and perspective;
  • Ability to work with (and find consensus among) people from a wide array of backgrounds and perspectives, as well as an appreciation for the need to address issues in nonpartisan and non-polarizing ways;
  • Efficient, organized work style and an ability to prioritize quickly and confidently;
  • Willingness to travel an average of four to six days per month;
  • Relevant work experience in criminal justice (ideally corrections and/or community corrections) or other governmental policy area;
  • Experience delivering technical assistance;
  • Experience managing staff and budgets, preferably in a nonprofit/government organization;
  • A college degree (required) and a graduate degree in a related field, such as law or public policy (strongly preferred)

Salary Range :
Salary is commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.

How to Apply:
Interested individuals email the following materials to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs

  1. Cover letter
  2. Résumé
  3. Writing sample (no more than three pages)
  4. References (at least two)

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.

Web Director

Contact: Michael Thompson
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: Open until filled

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (http://justicecenter.csg.org) is hiring a Web Director to develop the organization's web communication strategy and coordinate the organization's web development efforts. The Justice Center seeks a candidate with demonstrated interest and ability to plan and shape the web presence of a national nonprofit organization. Applicants interested in using web and project management skills to influence criminal justice policy and help increase the visibility, use, and impact of a nonprofit organization’s websites and online tools will find that this job suits their interests. The position offers senior responsibilities and access to resources and external contractors (both developers and designers).

The CSG Justice Center’s goal is to increase public safety and strengthen communities. The Justice Center a nonpartisan policy organization that provides practical and evidence-based recommendations through reports, trainings, legislative briefings, web-based materials, and other means. Our primary audience is policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government who are in positions to implement our recommendations.

The web enables us to present our work to our diverse audience in accessible, relevant, and engaging ways; foster peer networks and learning opportunities; and provide important updates to our members and the field. Through our various project websites (http://consensusproject.org, http://reentrypolicy.org, http://justicereinvestment.org) the Justice Center has been developing a web presence for a number of years.

Duties:

  • Strategy Development: Develop long-term strategic plans and budgets for website development and improvement, and oversee their execution. Work with Communications Director to develop a web communications strategy that is consistent with the organization’s broader communications efforts.
  • Project Development: Work with other web and policy staff to conceptualize and implement new online products. Improve existing sites by analyzing usage data and designing targeted responses. Provide quality assurance.
  • Internal Development: Develop and maintain internal procedures for managing projects and information flow, including budget monitoring and tracking, and expanding internal capacity for new web projects. Recruit new contract developers and designers, and internal support staff.
  • Marketing/Outreach: Collaborate with Communications Director to develop marketing strategies for new and existing web products. Ensure regular communications with organization’s constituencies, with messages that are consistent with organizational plan.
  • Supervising: Oversee the work of internal web assistants, off-site coders and design contractors, and policy staff who contribute to the development of new web products.

Education/Experience:
This is not a coding or web design position. The ideal candidate will have a combination of extensive web development and project management experience, strong communication skills, proven ability to manage staff and work with consultants, active management style/leadership to ensure timely and efficient completion of all projects, and the ability to develop and follow budgets. We are looking for someone who can “think web,” and offer innovative ideas. Candidates must have at least a bachelor’s degree and significant experience in online communications work. Experience in the nonprofit sector is preferred but not required. Managerial experience required.

Salary Range:
Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package.

Deadline: Open until filled

Contact:
Interested individuals should email https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs.

  1. Cover letter (please identify salary requirements)
  2. Resume
  3. References (at least two)

Behavioral Health Policy Analyst

Contact: Nancy Fishman
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: Open until filled

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (www.justicecenter.csg.org) is hiring a Policy Analyst to oversee projects focused on behavioral health (mental health and/or addictions) services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. The analyst will work closely on two of the Justice Center’s major projects: the Criminal Justice/Mental Health Consensus Project and the Justice Reinvestment Projects. The Consensus Project (www.consensusproject.org) is a national effort to help criminal justice and mental health professionals improve the response to people with mental illnesses involved in the criminal justice system. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative (www.justicereinvestment.org) is designed to help states develop data-driven policy options to reduce spending on corrections and reinvest a portion of those savings in efforts, including community behavioral healthcare, to make communities safer, stronger, and healthier.

The policy analyst will work under the direction of senior staff but will have significant day-to-day responsibility for a range of policy-related activities, with a specific emphasis on projects related to mental health and substance use treatment, both inside correctional facilities and in communities. Such projects will include providing technical assistance to state and local corrections systems interested in implementing policies to facilitate enrollment of eligible individuals in Medicaid and Social Security benefits after release, helping state and local corrections and human service systems define, identify, and enumerate target populations and to devise strategies to invest resources effectively into behavioral healthcare services for individuals under community supervision, and assisting state mental health directors develop policy tools to respond to scenarios involving violence and mental illness.

Specific responsibilities of the policy analyst include, but are not limited to, the following duties:
  • Developing written products, including policy guides, tools to assess policy and practice, trainings, and web-based resources;
  • Collaborating with senior staff to develop long range strategies to guide Justice Center work in the behavioral healthcare arena;
  • Participating in technical assistance delivery, initially by supporting senior staff and/or consultants in coordinating, attending, and documenting site visits in jurisdictions across the country and eventually by leading technical assistance site visits;
  • Monitoring timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure that responsibilities to funders are met in assigned project areas;
  • Researching new healthcare-related funding opportunities and writing grant proposals;
  • Contributing to the development of Justice Center website content and strategizing with staff and technical consultant on ways of using the web to promote policy goals;
  • Planning and participating in policy-focused meetings of high-ranking government officials, advocates, and national experts;
  • Identifying and engaging new contacts in the field to serve as formal or informal project consultants or partners;
  • Ensuring that senior staff and, where applicable, Justice Center colleagues, consultants, or funders are aware of relevant project developments and that other work in the field is leveraged for the advancement of project goals;
  • Developing/expanding a knowledge base on healthcare issues such as mental health and substance use disorder services and delivery systems tailored for criminal justice involved populations and healthcare financing mechanisms
Education/Experience:

The candidate must demonstrate maturity, superior interpersonal skills, keen judgment, and excellent writing and research skills. Candidates must be efficient, well-organized, and able to prioritize quickly and confidently. Candidates also should be willing, when necessary, to work long hours and to travel regularly. Candidates must have at least five years of relevant experience, ideally working in a state healthcare system, in the criminal justice system, or from some other vantage point that provided considerable insight into issues at the intersection of criminal justice and healthcare systems. Candidates with graduate degrees in public health, public policy, or criminal justice are strongly preferred.

Salary Range:
Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package.

Deadline:
Open until filled

How to Apply:
Interested individuals must submit the following materials to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs:

  1. Cover letter
  2. Résumé
  3. Writing sample (no more than 5 pages);
  4. References (at least two)

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.


Policy Analyst, Justice Reinvestment

Contact: Marshall Clement
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: August 30, 2009

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG-JC) is hiring a Policy Analyst to join the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative is designed to help states develop data-driven policy options to reduce spending on corrections and reinvest a portion of those savings in efforts to make communities safer, stronger, and healthier. The initiative works intensively in a handful of states across the country where there is a bipartisan commitment to pursue these goals. The Justice Center receives funding support for the initiative from private foundations, the U.S. Department of Justice, and individual states.

DUTIES:
The Policy Analyst will be responsible for: analyzing relevant legislation, administrative policy, and research; coordinating a team of expert consultants providing on-site, intensive technical assistance in one to two states; developing legislative and administrative policy options; and coordinating and participating in politically sensitive meetings with high-ranking local, state, and federal officials, advocates, and other experts across the country. The Policy Analyst works with a small team and will report to the Project Director for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative. This position offers a significant level of responsibility and opportunity for growth to an individual seeking advance a career in criminal justice policy.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:
The candidate must demonstrate maturity, superior interpersonal skills, keen judgment, and excellent writing and research skills. Candidates must be efficient, well-organized, and able to prioritize quickly and confidently. Candidates also should be willing, when necessary, to work long hours and to travel regularly. Candidates must have at least five years of relevant experience, ideally working in a state legislature, in the criminal justice system, or from some other vantage point that provided considerable insight into crime policy. Candidates with graduate degrees in law, public policy, or criminal justice are strongly preferred.

SALARY RANGE:
Salary is commensurate with experience and includes excellent benefits.

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested individuals should email the following elements to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs:

  1. Cover letter (explain your interest in a career in criminal justice policy)
  2. Résumé
  3. Writing sample (preferably a policy memo on criminal justice topic, no more than 5 pages)
  4. References (at least three)

Applications that do not have all of these elements will not be considered.

Policy Associate, Justice Reinvestment

Contact: Marshall Clement
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: August 31, 2009

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (CSG-JC) is hiring a Project Associate to join the Justice Reinvestment Initiative.

The Justice Reinvestment Initiative is designed to help states develop data-driven policy options to reduce spending on corrections and reinvest a portion of those savings in strategies and interventions proven to make communities safer, stronger, and healthier. The initiative works intensively in a handful of states across the country where there is a bipartisan commitment to pursue these goals. The Justice Center receives funding support for the initiative from private foundations, the U.S. Department of Justice, and individual states.

Duties:

The Project Associate will be responsible for: researching promising state initiatives and programs; drafting and editing case studies, op-eds, talking points, advisories and press releases to support the project’s work in particular states; building relationships with state legislators and other stakeholders while working to carry out media outreach; helping to design and implement state-level media strategy; overseeing and updating website content; tracking media coverage in particular states; and organizing state-level media events and briefings. The Project Associate will work with a small team and will report to a Policy Analyst on the Justice Reinvestment team. This position offers a significant level of responsibility and opportunity for growth to an individual seeking to advance a career in criminal justice policy.

Education/Experience:

The candidate must demonstrate maturity, superior interpersonal skills, keen judgment, and excellent writing and editing skills. Candidate must be efficient, well-organized, and able to prioritize quickly and confidently. Candidate also should be willing, when necessary, to work long hours and to travel frequently. Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in Journalism, English, Communications, Public Relations, Criminal Justice, or other relevant field, and at least two years of experience working in publications production, journalism, communications, or public relations (preferably for state officials).

Salary Range:
Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package.

Deadline:
July 20, 2009

How to Apply:
Interested individuals must submit the following materials to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs,

  1. Cover letter
  2. Résumé
  3. Writing sample (no more than three pages)
  4. References (at least two)

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.


Accounts Payable/Finance Assistant

Contact: Danielle Edwards
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: Open until filled

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is hiring an accounts payable / finance assistance to work with the Budget Director on all financial matters related to the Justice Center. This position will work with all three offices of the Justice Center as well as the Council of State Governments headquarters office to oversee the financial operations of the Justice Center.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a nonpartisan policy organization that provides practical and evidence-based recommendations through reports, trainings, legislative briefings, web-based materials, and other means. The Justice Centers’ goal is to increase public safety and strengthen communities. Our primary audience is policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government who are in positions to implement our recommendations.

Duties:
  • Process accounts payable, purchasing and corporate card activity, and ensure financial compliance with federal regulations and foundation guidelines, as applicable.
  • Prepare monthly financial reports and ledgers for project leads to review.
  • Review cost centers and ensure timesheets are submitted in a timely manner.
  • Report to staff on a monthly basis of grants ending, reports due to funders and contracts expiring.
  • Assist the Budget Director with data collection, input and analysis for the development of budgets, budget redistributions, budget reconciliation, and other calculations necessary to track the status of the budgets.
  • Draft contracts and letter of agreements and maintain database of current contracts.
  • Implement new systems for managing reports and communicate financial information to Justice Center staff.
  • Maintain financial and grant award files.
  • Other duties as assigned by the Budget Director.
Education/Experience:

BA/BS degree preferred. The ideal candidate will have at least 1-2 years of experience in finance in a non-profit setting, including direct experience in managing accounts payable; the ability to handle sensitive materials; excellent communication skills, both written and oral; will be detail oriented; and proficient in Microsoft Excel.

Salary Range:
Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes a generous benefits package.

Deadline:
Open until filled

How to Apply:
Interested individuals must submit the following materials to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs:

  1. Cover letter
  2. Résumé
  3. References (at least two)

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.


Administrative Assistant

Contact: Renee Brackett
Location: New York, NY
Application Deadline: Open until filled

The Council of State Governments Justice Center (http://justicecenter.csg.org/) is hiring an Administrative Assistant to join the Justice Center’s New York office.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center is a nonpartisan policy organization that provides practical and evidence-based recommendations through reports, trainings, legislative briefings, web-based materials, and other means. The Justice Centers’ goal is to increase public safety and strengthen communities. Our primary audience is policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels from all branches of government who are in positions to implement our recommendations.

Duties:

The administrative assistant, who will report to the Justice Center logistics coordinator, will oversee daily office functions, manage the upkeep and operation of office equipment, and act as liaison to external vendors. In addition, the assistant will coordinate these activities with staff from the Justice Center’s Bethesda, Maryland and Austin, Texas offices as well as staff from the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference.

The ideal candidate must demonstrate sensitivity and tact, have excellent oral and written communication skills, and keen judgment when tackling administrative challenges. Specifically, daily office functions will include meeting planning and preparation, reading and routing mail, organizing files, database maintenance, processing travel reports, limited accounts payable activities, and other administrative duties. The administrative assistant will also interact with high-ranking state officials and/or their assistants and some travel will be required.

Education/Experience:

Applicants must have a high school diploma; two years of college is preferred. Candidates should have at least three years of administrative experience and be highly organized, detailed oriented, and able to handle multiple tasks. Candidates must also be highly familiar with Microsoft programs (Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook) and will be responsible for maintaining office calendars.

Salary Range:
Salary is $36.5K to $47K commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.

Deadline:
Open until filled

How to Apply:
Interested individuals must submit a cover letter, resume, and at least two references to https://secured.csg.org/csg/jobs.

Applicants who do not submit all of these materials will not be considered.


The Justice Center provides practical, nonpartisan advice and consensus-driven strategies, informed by available evidence, to increase public safety and strengthen communities. The Justice Center is a nonprofit organization that works closely with legislative leaders, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, victim advocates, and others to develop consensus on various, often highly politicized, criminal justice issues and to translate this consensus into comprehensive reports, policy briefs, state and federal legislation, model policies, and innovative programs. The Justice Center not only develops written and web-based materials, but also provides on-the-ground technical assistance to policymakers and practitioners from multiple systems (corrections, mental health, housing, etc.), in state and local jurisdictions.
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