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CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG):

ISLG is an institute within the City University of New York. The Institute’s mission is to assist current and future leaders in government, non-profit organizations and the private sector, in the U.S. and internationally, by offering research, technical assistance, and education and training, to help improve the financing, delivery and measurement of critical public services. The Institute’s director, Michael Jacobson, previously served as NYC’s Probation and Correction Commissioner and president of the Vera Institute of Justice.

The Institute is hiring up to three Policy Associates to assist in work with the New York County District Attorney’s Office (DANY) on their Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII), which aims to reduce crime and improve fairness and efficiency in the criminal justice system. This work spans many initiatives distributed among four portfolios: a) Youth, Families, and Communities, b) Victims of Crime, c) Diversion and Reentry Support, and d) Enhancing Effectiveness Across Systems. In this work, ISLG provides technical assistance to DANY and oversees CJII on behalf of DANY. The Policy Associates will support CJII initiatives within one or more portfolios. Examples of these initiatives include Youth Opportunity Hubs, Family and Youth Development, Foster Youth Transitioning to Adulthood, Community Navigators, Reentry Services and Supports, and Access to Services for Survivors of Crime. Each CJII initiative supports a number of community-based providers, to which DANY has awarded or will award grants based on rigorous selection process. For more information about ISLG and CJII, including the specific initiatives under each CJII portfolio, please visit www.islg.cuny.edu and www.cjii.org.

Position Description

Reporting to a Senior Policy Associate, Policy Associates will provide substantial support to initiatives spanning one or more of the following portfolios: (a) Youth, Families, and Communities – includes initiatives to improve outcomes for young people and families in neighborhoods with high rates of interaction with the justice system, thereby reducing those youth and families’ involvement in the justice system; (b) Victims of Crime – includes initiatives to expand, enhance, and develop new approaches to meet victims’ unique needs and improve life outcomes, particularly with respect to victims from underserved groups; (c) Diversion and Reentry Support – includes initiatives to increase diversion and improve service delivery options for individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system to reduce their future involvement in the system, connect them to the services they need, and increase their likelihood of success in the community; and (d) Enhancing Effectiveness Across Systems – includes initiatives to address systemic gaps and link CJII initiatives together to promote public safety.

Each Policy Associate will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Working closely with Senior Policy Associates and the rest of the Policy team to support multiple CJII initiatives over the lifetime of CJII;
• Engaging key project stakeholders, including personnel from city agencies, in meetings, emails, and phone calls to facilitate the roll-out and implementation of CJII initiatives;
• Liaising with the contractors selected to implement CJII initiatives, including conducting site visits, phone calls, and regular email correspondence to support and monitor implementation as well as identify and address technical assistance needs, as appropriate;
• Supporting the development of learning and technical assistance for CJII initiatives, including event organization, needs assessments, vendor selection, additional research on best practices and supports for grantees implementing programs, and the development and facilitation of trainings for grantees;
• Receiving and interpreting work products from the contractors, including technical documents, performance measurement data, implementation reports, and financial reports; and in some cases, translating those products for non-technical city and internal stakeholders;
• Managing/supporting the contractor and subcontractor selection process for CJII initiatives as needed;
• Working with ISLG Research Staff to monitor the performance of the contractors;
• Liaising with ISLG staff working on other CJII initiatives;
• Supporting sustainability planning for CJII initiatives; and
• Participating in frequent formal and informal cross-organizational collaboration to generate new ideas and grow the Institute’s body of work.

This is an exceptional opportunity to work on a transformative initiative and to assist in building a portfolio of work in an institute with a talented and ambitious team producing a scientifically rigorous and impactful body of work.