Standards Specialist

City of New York•East Elmhurst, NY

About The Position

The New York City Board of Correction (BOC) seeks a Standards Specialist, also called a Monitor, to support its independent oversight of the City’s correctional facilities. The Monitor serves as the Board’s and the City’s “eyes and ears” in jails on Rikers Island, court pens, and hospital prison wards, working to promote compliance with the Board’s Minimum Standards. The role collaborates with administration, monitoring, legal, and research staff and works under the supervision of an assigned Director. Monitoring staff have broad access to the jails and work with the Department of Correction (DOC), Correctional Health Services (CHS), and other partners.

Requirements

Meet one of the stated qualification pathways: a bachelor’s degree and two years of qualifying full-time paid experience; a high school diploma or equivalent and four years of qualifying full-time paid experience; or equivalent education and/or experience.
Qualifying experience is in correction, social work, psychology, law, public administration, or a related field, providing direct services to an inmate or detention population within a correctional or related facility.
At least one year of full-time paid qualifying experience is required, including when education or experience substitutions are applied.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Strong ability to write clearly and concisely.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with diverse colleagues and partners.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to handle sensitive information professionally and with discretion and integrity.
Commitment to the mission of the New York City Board of Correction.

Nice To Haves

Collegial approach to teamwork across disciplines.
Master’s degree in a social science discipline, public policy, or a related field.
At least three years of government, nonprofit, or comparable experience.
Experience at a regulatory agency or advocating before a regulatory agency.
Interest in and experience with criminal justice and correctional policy, human rights, or social justice.
Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research and presenting findings in reports.
Knowledge of and experience with statistical analysis.
Working knowledge of New York City jails and corrections.
Bilingual ability, such as Spanish.
Tenacity as a fact finder and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment.
Service as an inmate in a correctional or related facility may substitute for a portion of the preferred experience, up to two years on a year-for-year basis.
A qualifying graduate degree with a field placement may substitute for up to one year of the required experience, subject to the stated minimum of one year of full-time paid qualifying experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct regular tours of assigned jails, court pens, and hospital prison wards.
Provide written and oral reporting on conditions and compliance with Minimum Standards at assigned jails, courts, or hospital wards.
Enforce the Minimum Standards by visiting jails and taking and resolving complaints from staff and people in custody.
Examine DOC compliance with the Minimum Standards, consent decrees, other legal mandates, and departmental policies, procedures, orders, and directives.
Analyze Correctional Health Services’ compliance with the Health and Mental Health Care Minimum Standards.
Prepare written reports on investigations, surveys, and analyses.
Provide technical assistance to DOC administrators to achieve compliance and improve working and living conditions for staff and people in custody.
Conduct fact-finding and investigations of unusual incidents, including deaths, disturbances, and escapes, and prepare related reports, studies, surveys, and correspondence.
Help review and analyze requests from DOC and CHS for variances from the Minimum Standards.
Assist in processing, evaluating, and preparing responses to appeals from people in custody concerning the Minimum Standards.