Standards Specialist

City of New York•New York, NY

1d•$71,238 - $81,924

About The Position

The New York City Board of Correction seeks a Standards Specialist, also called a Monitor, to support the Board’s oversight of City correctional facilities. Monitors serve as the Board’s and the City’s “eyes and ears” in jails on Rikers Island, court pens, and hospital prison wards. They have unfettered access to jails to promote compliance with the Board’s Minimum Standards and work collaboratively with administration, monitoring, legal, and research staff. The Monitor works under the supervision of an assigned Director. The Board is an independent, nine-person oversight board established in 1957. Its responsibilities include establishing and ensuring compliance with minimum standards, investigating serious incidents, reviewing grievances from people in custody and staff, evaluating Department of Correction performance, and making recommendations on correctional planning. The role supports the Board’s work toward safer, smaller, fairer, and more humane jails, with an emphasis on public reporting. The position involves monitoring conditions and standards, examining compliance with legal requirements and departmental policies, conducting investigations and analyses, preparing reports, assisting with variance requests and appeals, and providing technical assistance to Department of Correction administrators. Applicants must submit both a resume and cover letter. In-person interview candidates will be required to complete a brief writing and analysis assignment and provide references. Appointment is subject to Office of Management & Budget approval for budgeted headcount and continued funding.

Requirements

Meet one of the listed qualifications: a bachelor's degree and two years of full-time paid experience providing direct services to an inmate or detention population in correction, social work, psychology, law, public administration, or a related field; or a high school diploma or equivalent and four years of such experience; or equivalent education and experience.
Have at least one year of full-time paid experience providing direct services to an inmate or detention population in a correctional or related facility.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Strong writing skills and the ability to express research findings clearly and concisely.
Excellent organizational and time-management skills and attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate with diverse colleagues and partners.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Ability to handle sensitive information professionally, with discretion and integrity.
Commitment to the mission of the New York City Board of Correction.

Nice To Haves

A collegial approach to teamwork across disciplines.
A 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.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and changing environment.
Service as an inmate in a correctional or related facility may substitute for a portion of the preferred full-time paid experience, up to a maximum of two years on a year-for-year basis.
A graduate degree in social work, psychology, law, criminal justice, or public administration that includes a qualifying field placement may substitute for up to one year of required full-time paid experience, provided the candidate has at least one year of such paid experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct regular tours of assigned jails, court pens, and hospital prison wards.
Provide written and oral reports on conditions and compliance with Minimum Standards at assigned jails, courts, or hospital wards.
Enforce the Minimum Standards by visiting jails and receiving and resolving complaints from staff and people in custody.
Examine Department of Correction compliance with 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 Department of Correction 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 the Department of Correction and Correctional Health Services for variances from the Minimum Standards.
Assist in processing, evaluating, and preparing responses to appeals from people in custody concerning the Minimum Standards.