Court Representative

Center for Alternative•New York, NY

8d•Onsite

About The Position

CASES is a New York City agency working at the intersection of behavioral health and the criminal justice system. Its mission is to increase public safety through innovative services that reduce crime and incarceration, improve behavioral health, promote recovery and rehabilitation, and create opportunities for success in the community. The Court Services Department supports court-mandated and court-endorsed programming throughout the criminal legal process, including alternative-to-detention and alternative-to-incarceration programs. The Court Representative works with the Supervised Release program in Manhattan Criminal and Supreme Courts. The role builds relationships with court stakeholders, determines legal eligibility, screens and assesses participants, makes supervision and case-management recommendations, and advocates in court. It also supports participant safety and understanding of release conditions, maintains accurate case records, communicates compliance information to the court, and coordinates with borough-based Supervised Release staff. Services should be culturally competent, anti-racist, and responsive to participants’ circumstances and identities. This is a full-time, on-site position at 100 Centre Street in New York, NY. The regular schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., for 35 hours per week excluding breaks. The salary is $62,000 annually.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or at least 4 years of relevant work experience.
Ability to function effectively and independently in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
Ability to work effectively with diverse participants and staff.
Ability to gather information quickly, evaluate its accuracy, and exercise sound judgment under time constraints in high-volume courtrooms.
Strong articulation and professionalism, including the ability to present detailed information in court.
Excellent public-speaking skills.
Ability to formulate persuasive arguments for eligible defendants to be placed in CASES programs.
Excellent analytical and written skills.
Interest in and sensitivity to issues facing justice-involved individuals.
Willingness to work Tuesday through Saturday and adapt to schedule changes to ensure court-shift coverage.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual ability.
Ability to mentor others and provide concrete, constructive feedback.
Management experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain professional relationships with judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, and other court partners to facilitate program admissions and maintain CASES’ credibility in Manhattan Criminal and Supreme Courts.
Determine legal eligibility for Supervised Release by reviewing arrest case information, RAP sheets, and attorney recommendations, and ensure participants receive the appropriate supervision level when ordered by a judge.
Conduct screening and assessment interviews, explain Supervised Release, administer screening tools, and formulate immediate supervision and case-management recommendations.
Ensure participants understand the conditions of pretrial release and expectations for participating in Supervised Release.
Meet monthly intake targets and comply with quality pretrial standards.
Accompany participants to court appearances and verbally advocate to judges for participants to maintain continuity in Supervised Release.
Manage crises effectively to protect participant safety and well-being.
Maintain timely, complete, and accurate case-record documentation, including participant demographics, intake information, rearrest cases, and warrants.
Collaborate with borough-based Supervised Release staff so the court receives accurate information and participants meet supervision conditions.
Notify the court promptly and accurately about participant non-compliance, including missing or absconded participants, failures to report, and rearrests.
Provide culturally competent and anti-racist court services consistent with CASES policies and responsive to participants’ needs, identities, and criminal legal histories.
Participate in supervision, case reviews, staff meetings, and in-service training to develop clinical, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed, and legal-system competence.
Work a regular and irregular schedule and accommodate schedule changes to maintain coverage for all court shifts.
Perform other related duties as assigned by supervisors and senior staff.