Pretrial Associate

PRETRIAL ASSOCIATE (Brooklyn, NY)

New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA)

Posted: 1/22/24

Do you have a passion and desire to help New York City reduce jail overcrowding and unnecessary detention?

Can you make a commitment to helping justice-involved people through the complex court system?

Join our team of professionals seeking to improve the experience of justice involved individuals in the NYC Courts!

ABOUT CJA

The New York City Criminal Justice Agency (CJA) is a not-for-profit service and research organization that operates in partnership with the New York City Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice. CJA is the City's main pretrial services agency, combining operations, pilot projects, and research under one roof. CJA utilizes procedural justice practices to provide pretrial services to over 100,000 arrested annually in New York City. Information collected about these arrestees and subsequent case processing is maintained in the agency's internal and externally shared database systems, which are used to conduct descriptive and evaluation research on arrestee characteristics, case processing and court outcomes, and on issues and potential reforms to criminal justice policy in New York City. CJA's programs operate in the criminal courts and detention facilities 24 hours a day seven days a week within the 5 boroughs of NYC, employing over 280 employees, citywide.

About the Position

Pretrial Associates (PTAs) are integral to the work we do in the courts and Central Booking. With staff working 24/7 in each of the city's centralized courthouses, CJA interviews nearly all individuals held in custody before they see a judge and makes a release recommendation to the court. We assist people who have been arrested, as well as their families, in navigating the bail payment process to facilitate their release from court before admission to DOC facilities.

Primary Responsibilities

Client/Customer Service & Communications:

• Thoroughly and compassionately interviews recently arrested individuals in Central Booking locations in all boroughs to determine community ties. The information gathered plays a major role in the CJA's recommendation to release them without bail.
• Conducts telephone verifications of the information the individuals provide, such as address, employment, possible sureties, and other factors which play an important role in the individual's opportunity to receive a recommendation for Release on Recognizance (ROR).
• Explain bail payment procedures and assist sureties with the bail payment process.
  
  

Attention to Detail & Organization:

• Accurately record the interview responses into the Agency's computerized database.
• Determine release recommendation for individuals using CJA's standardized release assessment, which combines criminal history factors and community ties information.
• Observe and monitor arraignment outcomes and assist individuals who have bail imposed.
• Participate in various interdepartmental programs, such as Bail Expediting Program, which involves identifying eligible cases and making follow up phone calls to their sureties to expedite bail payment at the courts, rather than at DOC facilities.
  
  

Teamwork & Relationship Building

• Interact respectfully with other agencies and court players, such as NYPD, DOC, NYS Court Officers, Supervised Release programs, Court Clerks, and Legal Aid to effectively facilitate court procedures and represent CJA in a professional manner.
• Contribute to and work on various innovative pilot programs implemented in the boroughs and suggest potential improvements.
  
  

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited college strongly preferred with one year work experience. Although there is a preference to criminal justice and related social science majors, all interested majors are welcomed to apply.
• In lieu of an associate degree, individuals with two years equivalent commensurate work experience and/or lived experience with the criminal justice system are strongly encouraged to apply.
  
  

Required Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Computer literacy, to include Microsoft applications and ability to quickly adapt to changing technology
  
  

Preferred Skills: Multilingual candidates are highly encouraged to apply (please list any fluent languages in your application)

This opportunity is ideal for an individual who has recently graduated from college or has commensurate experience.

SALARY: $51,506.00 4,120.48 night differential

The shifts is as follows:

3PM-11PM

• Please note this role may require weekend shifts.
  
  

Note: This role is 100% in person

• Internal applicants must be 1 year in their current roles and in good standing (no disciplinary action within the last 90 days) to apply.
  
  

CJA VALUES

Each employee at CJA is guided by these values in our work:

• Commitment: We are committed to being active partners in criminal justice reform through initiatives and creative problem-solving that evaluates different methods and strategies for alternatives to detention.
• Fairness: We are guided by fairness and the presumption of innocence for those who are detained and work with integrity and without bias to protect the privacy and interest of court-involved people and their families.
• Innovation: We value curiosity as a driving force to lead the way in pretrial services. We use innovative techniques in research, pilot programs, and engaging justice-involved communities to execute our mission of reducing unnecessary pretrial detention.
  
  

BENEFITS: CJA offers a very generous benefit plan including health, dental and vision insurance, a comprehensive mental health, and wellness, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) plan, four weeks' vacation, paid holidays, and a retirement plan with employer matching contributions.  CJA is also strongly committed to professional learning and development for its staff members and offers staff varied opportunities for learning and development through partnerships and vendor services for web based, in-person professional development training, as well as in-house job training and development.

Note: Only those candidates being considered will be contacted.

CJA is seeking applicants who pursue professional development pathways by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining professional networks, and engaging with professional associations

The New York City Criminal Justice Agency is an Equal Opportunity Employer

CJA is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.