Jails Conditions Advocate, Criminal Justice Project

Job Description

LOCATION

Los Angeles Note: Hybrid and Remote opportunities are available upon request and approval. Must reside in CA before start of employment. Position does require some in-person work in Los Angeles carceral facilities.

DEPARTMENT

Advocacy

DEADLINE DATE

Open until filled

Founded in 1923, the ACLU SoCal has been at the forefront of many major efforts to protect civil liberties, civil rights, and equal justice in California. Principled and nonpartisan, ACLU SoCal has offices in Los Angeles, Orange County (Orange), the Inland Empire (San Bernardino), and Kern County (Bakersfield). ACLU SoCal tackles a vast array of issues, including, police practices, First Amendment rights, voting rights, criminal legal system reform, gender equity and reproductive justice, LGBTQ rights, immigrants’ rights, education equity, and economic justice.

OVERVIEW

The Jails Conditions Advocate will advance the ACLU SoCal’s jail conditions and decarceral policy work through coordinating and overseeing our LA County Jails monitoring work. The Advocate will also engage in campaigns that highlight the community focused steps necessary to reduce the number of individuals incarcerated in LA County Jails.

The Advocate will rely on a strong commitment to the ACLU SoCal’s mission of advancing rights for people who are incarcerated and an ability to work well with people who have experienced trauma.

The Advocate will be supervised by a Senior Staff Attorney and will be part of the Criminal Justice team within the ACLU SoCal Advocacy Department as well as the statewide Criminal Justice Team. The Advocate will work closely with other staff and interns at the ACLU SoCal.

CLASSIFICATION

Part-Time 22.5 hours / 3 days per week. Non-Exempt, Time limited one year position.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Review and address grievances from individuals incarcerated in LA County Jail facilities
• Supervise interns in their review and response to grievances from individuals incarcerated in LA County Jail facilities.
• Help investigate and evaluate conditions in Los Angeles County jails by visiting LA County Jails, interviewing people who are incarcerated, interviewing witnesses to critical incidents, and communicating with impacted families. This responsibility involves significant interaction with and ability to identify and articulate needs of the 40% of the population within the LA County jails experiencing some form of psychiatric disability.
• Collect personal, witness, and civilian narratives and declarations for filing potential lawsuit(s) or advocacy opportunities.
• Help conduct research and writing about county jail-related issues to support advocacy, legislative, and litigation efforts.
• Join meetings with various stakeholders including incarcerated people, impacted families, county officials, and LA County Sheriff's Department and Correctional Health Services staff.
• Help develop strategy and work on organizing activities for LA County policy campaigns.
• As needed, participate in coalitions and attend and actively participate in community partner meetings and coalitions that focus on issues that impact LA County jail policies.
• Help organize and participate in community education events, rallies, and meetings.
• As needed, serve as a spokesperson for the ACLU SoCal both with the press and as a public speaker on conditions in county jails, sheriff department operations, and incarcerated people’s rights.
• Develop advocacy sign-on letters, fact sheets, advocacy materials, toolkits, action alerts, op-eds, blog posts, and social media content.
• Help identify and incorporate into the work people who are impacted and help share the compelling experiences of communities impacted by incarceration.
• Support the ACLU SoCal’s base building and volunteer leadership development work, as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS :

• At least 1 year of social work, organizing, campaign, and/or advocacy experience.
• Legal system-impacted and legal system-involved people highly encouraged to apply.
• Experience working with individuals who are incarcerated, individuals who are justice-involved, and individuals with psychiatric disabilities.
• A deep and demonstrated commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights, including criminal legal system and jails reform and decarceration.
• Excellent communication skills: written and verbal.
• Excellent time-management and organizational skills.
• Flexible team player and also comfortable working independently and taking initiative.
• Ability to participate in, create, and sustain inclusive and engaging spaces for all people.
• Occasional work evenings and weekends.
• Occasional travel throughout the region.
• Ability to gain security clearance into jail facilities. If unsure about this, please still apply.
• Familiarity with Los Angeles County regional issues and organizations preferred.
• Connections to Los Angeles County and/or Orange County community or communities affected by mass incarceration and organizations working in those areas preferred.
• Spanish language proficiency preferred.
• Relevant advanced degree such as MSW or public policy degrees or social services experience highly preferred.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops, trainings, meetings, and other community events highly preferred.

RACIAL EQUITY COMPETENCIES

• Understanding and Applying Racial Equity
  • Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understand of racial equity:
    • Core terms and concepts such as structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.
    • The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society.
    • How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
    • Personal/implicit/unconscious bias.
• Working for Racial Equity
  • Consistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions within the context of their job responsibilities; race/ethnicity, intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation.
  • Consistently adhere to organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, including those that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion.
  • Consistently identify and disrupt ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team.

BENEFITS

The hourly salary range for this position is $25.60- $33.07. Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members and their eligible dependents; life and long-term, short-term disability insurance; 401(k) plan with employer match; ample vacation and sick leave and fifteen paid holidays.

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and 3 writing samples to our online recruitment portal:

https://secure.onehcm.com/ta/ACLUSC.careers?ShowJob=486671624

(NO Phone Calls PLEASE)

COVID Vaccination and proof of being fully Vaccinated (includes booster) is a condition of employment.

The ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve. The ACLU SoCal is an equal opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply and value people of all races, genders (including gender identity or expression), sexual orientations, disabilities, citizenships, ages, religions, and national origins and who have different marital statuses, family caregiving responsibilities, lived experiences with the criminal justice systems, and genetic information. The ACLU SoCal does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of any of these characteristics.

The ACLU SoCal is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please e-mail [email protected] . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodation for the interview process.

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