Job Description:
The Senior Criminal Justice Fellow and consultant to the Cleveland Foundation is looking for a part-time research assistant to help prepare and summarize stakeholder interviews and co-author one or a series of reports on current criminal justice efforts in Cuyahoga County. The desired candidate may also assist the Fellow with interviewing additional stakeholders in the criminal justice and social justice fields in late November and early December to clarify certain resource gaps and needs in a respective area(s) of criminal justice, as well as reaching out to key national philanthropic stakeholders who have invested in criminal justice reform.
This position can last anywhere from 3 to 6 months and will include a monthly stipend of $800-$1,000, depending on the candidate’s background and experience. Estimated weekly time commitment is 5 to 10 hours, depending on the stage of the project.
The purpose of this project is to gather information on current criminal justice reform efforts in the region. The assistant’s work will inform a larger justice reform strategy that will help to guide the Foundation’s future work in the criminal justice system field. Hence, any prospective candidate can expect to do the following as a part of their work:
- Develop or assist in the development of interview schedules
- Contact potential interviewees to introduce and explain the strategy’s objectives and arrange interviews, either in person, by telephone or via Zoom
- Interview criminal justice stakeholders
- Maintain accurate records of interviews, safeguarding the confidentiality of subjects, as necessary
- Review and edit interview data to ensure completeness and accuracy of information
- Follow up with interviewees to resolve problems or clarify information collected
- Summarize the interview data and identify common themes across one or more interviews
- Provide ready access to all interviews to the Senior Criminal Justice Fellow and other Cleveland Foundation staff
- Manage and respond to project emails
- Attend meetings with the Senior Criminal Justice Fellow and other project staff regarding stakeholder interviews and final report(s)
- Prepare progress reports (if needed for the Cleveland Foundation board of director meetings) on assistant’s work
- Prepare interview findings for short publications and write/contribute to publications
- Track progress over time in a timesheet
Required Skills
- At least a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Legal Studies, Psychology, Sociology, Criminology or a similar field
- Basic knowledge of local judicial and carceral systems (must have an ability to distinguish between prosecutorial, criminal defense and judicial roles in the criminal system)
- Strong research, analytical and writing skills (must provide a writing sample with emailed cover letter and resume)
- Interviewing, communicative and interpersonal skills
- Ability to meet strict deadlines
Desired Skills
- Candidate with a research background and an interest in community and/or criminal justice issues.
- At least one to two years’ experience speaking with community members and a diverse set of stakeholders from various professional and social backgrounds.
Expected Pay and Hours
- $800 to $1,000 monthly depending on experience
- 5-10 hours weekly
When applying, please send a current resume, writing sample and short cover letter to Katrice Williams, Senior Criminal Justice Fellow, kwilliams@clevefdn.org. Only the strongest applicants will be contacted. Deadline to apply Friday, November 5.