Job Description

THE ORGANIZATION

The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit   

The Center is a 900-employee, $130 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. 

Center Support

A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

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. Operating out of Kings County Criminal Court and community-based offices, 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, 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.

Brooklyn Justice Initiatives is seeking a Community Navigator. Reporting to the SRP Supervising Case Manager, the Community Navigator will be a vital member of the case management team, providing intensive field-based engagement to participants who require enhanced support. Community Navigators will work alongside SRP Case Managers to provide comprehensive wrap-around services to participants in the Supervised Release Program.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide intensive field-based engagement and support to selected participants in target neighborhoods, including but not limited to East New York and Brownsville;
• Provide escorts for participants to local service providers and court appearances as needed;
• Address participants’ immediate needs, including providing food, hygiene kits, clothing, Metrocards, phones and harm reduction supplies
• Monitor participants’ compliance with supervision requirements; 
  • Conduct outreach to participants, their collateral contacts, and defense attorneys to maximize compliance with supervision requirements; 
• Assist with service referrals to participants to help address issues including but not limited to substance use, mental health, housing instability and employment;
• Assist participants with enrollment in health insurance through established partners with BJI; 
• Maintain accurate and timely data entry and case documentation on interactions with participants and community touchpoints aligned with the program model, court reporting obligations, and best practices;
• Submit accurate and timely reports to court within designated time frames, including compliance, noncompliance, re-arrest, and mandatory programming court notifications; 
• Maintain a professional and positive relationships with community stakeholders;
• Participate in individual, group supervision, and regular staff trainings to develop program expertise and related skill sets; 
• Drive BJI community van to target neighborhoods to support field engagement work;
• Drive BJI community van to scheduled maintenance appointments and ensure the van is fully fueled at the end of each shift;
• Attend project events, community events, and meetings after hours, as needed; and
• Additional relevant tasks, as necessary.

Qualifications: 

• High school diploma or equivalent required;
• Personal experience of arrest and/or incarceration required;
• Certified Peer Specialist, Navigator Certificate in Human Services and Community Justice, or other peer certification preferred, or willing to undergo certification upon hire;
• Comprehensive knowledge of and/or experience with the criminal legal, housing, child welfare, and/or mental health systems preferred;
• Previous experience with benefits enrollment preferred; 
• Comfort with engaging with participants within the community outside of the office;
• Must be able to work effectively 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 community members and partner agencies;
• Able to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds in a culturally-competent manner
• Familiarity with Brooklyn-based resources and deep knowledge of the Bath Beach, Gravesend, Coney Island, Sheepshead Bay and/or Brighton Beach neighborhoods preferred;
• Able to travel to and within all BJI SRP office locations and target neighborhoods in Brooklyn; transportation may involve the use of personal vehicles, BJI SRP transportation, public transportation, or may be on foot;
• Able to walk 30 blocks or more on a regular basis;
• Able to lift at least 20 pounds;
• Drivers license in good standing required;
• Minimum three years of licensed driving experience;
• Able to pass a defensive driver course within 30 days of hire; and
• Bilingual (English-Spanish) strongly preferred.

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

Position Location: Brooklyn, NY.

Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $52,000 - $60,000 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 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.

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.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.

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.

Job Tags

Full time, Temporary work, Local area, Immediate start, Felony friendly, Flexible hours, Shift work, Weekend work, Afternoon shift,

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