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ABOUT THE NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF CORRECTION
The New York City Board of Correction (“BOC” or “Board”) is a nine-person, non-judicial oversight board, which regulates, monitors, and inspects the correctional facilities of the City. The Mayor, City Council and presiding justices of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the First and Second Judicial Departments (in joint nomination with the Mayor) appoint its members. The Board’s original appointees began in 1957, making it one of the earliest independent oversight boards of detention settings in the United States. In 1977, the Board’s role was expanded, and it became more independent. The City Charter mandates the Board’s five functions:
- Establish and ensure compliance with minimum standards “for the care, custody, correction, treatment, supervision, and discipline of all persons held or confined under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correction”
- Investigate serious incidents
- Review grievances from people in custody and staff
- Evaluate the performance of the Department of Correction
- Make recommendations on areas of key correctional planning.
With offices in lower Manhattan and on Rikers Island, BOC works regularly with Department of Correction (“DOC”) and Correctional Health Services (“CHS”), and other government and external partners, on a wide range of criminal justice issues germane to its oversight responsibilities.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Applicants interested in this position should submit a resume and cover letter as a single file and upload it in the resume section of the online application. Candidates who are subsequently called for an in-person interview will be required to complete a brief writing and analysis assignment and will be asked for references. Submission of an application does not guarantee an interview. Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
The Legal Associate (“Associate”) will report directly to, and work under the supervision and direction of the General Counsel and will be responsible for providing project management and legal administrative support for the Board’s Legal Office. The Associate will work closely with the General Counsel and become an expert in the City’s regulatory process and other legal issues that impact the City’s jails, jail staff, and the people held in jail.
The Associate must be a thorough researcher, a clear and concise writer, a creative thinker, and a team player. The Associate’s work product must be of high quality, timely and well organized, and reflect attention to detail. The Associate will relish taking the initiative and be eager to learn about correctional policies and issues facing the City’s jails.
The Associate’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
General Counsel’s Office
- Assist with rulemaking, including;
o Conducting research on local, state and federal correctional policies, procedures and practices, studies and expert opinions related to the subjects of rulemaking.
o Draft memoranda summarizing research findings and making recommendations to Executive Staff.
o Take minutes of meetings with Board members, DOC, CHS, other City and government agencies, and external stakeholders concerning subjects of rulemaking and proposed rules.
o Prepare written summaries of Board fact-finding and public comments received on proposed rules.
o Schedule, draft agendas, and prepare hand-outs for, such meetings.
o Assist in preparing for public Board meetings and hearings on proposed rules; and
o Create and maintain rulemaking files.
- Track and draft summaries for the Board of (1) DOC and CHS policies and procedures; (2) proposed and newly enacted local, state and federal statutes and regulations concerning correctional and criminal justice issues; (3) articles, studies and court opinions concerning such issues; and (4) public reports of DOC’s compliance with the consent judgment in Nunez v. City of New York.
- Assist with the development and drafting of internal policies and procedures, including collaboration with the Mayor’s Office and other agency partners.
- Assist with gathering documents and information in response to Freedom of Information Law requests, other information requests, and external litigation.
- Draft the minutes of all public Board meetings and other key meetings.
- Participate in a variety of special projects assigned by the leadership team as needed.
- The Associate will also perform other duties as determined by the General Counsel.
Appeals
Under the Board’s Minimum Standards, whenever DOC decides to revoke or limit an incarcerated person’s or visitor’s visiting privileges, any affected person may appeal directly to the Board, after which the Board has a short window of time to issue a determination. The Associate will assist the Director of Appeals with handling visit restriction complaints and appeals brought to the Board, including:
- Field telephone calls, in-person visits, and written appeals.
- Input data into BOC’s computer system.
- Locate all DOC paperwork relevant to the restriction, including occasional visits to
- facilities to retrieve documentation.
- Interview people in custody, family members, and DOC staff.
- Maintaining visit appeal files.
- Objectively balance individual rights with institutional security considerations to make recommendations to the Director of Appeals regarding the outcome of the appeal.
- Using visit data to draft monthly or quarterly visit/appeals reports, as well as an annual report/memo describing findings from the restrictions and appeals.
Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications
The Assistant Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications is responsible for the important work of fast, accurate, and responsive communication and engagement with elected officials, correctional and healthcare leaders. The Associate will support these priorities, including:
- Update and maintain an interested parties’ list and related databases of external stakeholders.
- Support the Assistant Executive Director of Intergovernmental Affairs and Communications with day-to-day operations such as developing content for internal and external communications.
- Coordinate in-person and virtual engagement/outreach events, programs, and presentations.
- Assist in the collection of information and drafting of minutes, agendas, and briefings related to engagement/outreach events.
- Assist in the planning, support, and execution of public meetings, events, and other initiatives organized by the Intergovernmental Affairs unit.
- Help structure events with elected officials and communities to elicit full and meaningful community participation.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in “1” above.
EXPERIENCE / SKILLS PREFERRED:
- Familiarity with criminal justice and correctional policy or social justice issues.
- Excellent writing skills and enjoys writing.
- Excellent research abilities and enjoys research.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills, and attention to detail.
- Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to work collaboratively with diverse colleagues and partners.
- Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information in a professional manner with discretion and integrity.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Commitment to the mission of the NYC Board of Correction.
- Service as an inmate in correctional or related facility may be substituted for a portion of the required experience up to a maximum of two years.
TO APPLY:
For City employees: Go to Employee Self-Service (ESS) at www.nyc.gov/ess and search for Job ID# 687021
For all other applicants: Go to https://cityjobs.nyc.gov/ and search for Job ID# 687021
Please submit a resume and cover letter as a single file and upload it in the resume section of the online application. Candidates who are subsequently called for an in-person interview will be required to complete a brief writing and analysis assignment and will be asked for references. Submission of an application does not guarantee an interview. Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget approval.
The Board of Correction is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply. All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest, or any other basis prohibited by law.
As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. You may check the eligibility for programs and how to apply at nyc.gov/studentloans.
The City of New York and the Board of Correction is an equal opportunity employer and committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally-protected status or protected characteristic, including, but not limited to, an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
WORK LOCATION:
2 Lafayette Street, New York, New York 10007 (with periodic time at Rikers Island office)
HOURS/SHIFT
Full-Time, at least 35 hrs/wk
1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or
2. High school graduation or equivalent and six years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one year of experience as described in "1" above.
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.
