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• Open Society Institute-Baltimore Seeks Program Director, Criminal Justice Program (posted 10/18/2007)

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Open Society Institute-Baltimore Seeks Program Director, Criminal Justice Program (posted 10/18/2007)

Based in New York, the Open Society Institute (OSI) is a private operating and grantmaking foundation founded by the philanthropist George Soros. OSI promotes the development of open societies around the world through a variety of domestic and international programs that support educational, social and legal reform and encourage public debate and policy alternatives in complex and often controversial fields. The Baltimore office works with a local board to develop and support a grantmaking program that fosters debate, empowers marginalized groups, and strengthens communities and families. In addition to the criminal justice program, it support three other initiatives: tackling drug addiction, helping Baltimore youth succeed, and building a corps of social entrepreneurs to help revitalize Baltimore’s neighborhoods.

The Program Director will develop, monitor and evaluate OSI-Baltimore’s program in the area of criminal justice, seeking to reduce the overuse of incarceration and its attendant social and economic costs. The program currently aims to: 1) help prisoners transition successfully from incarceration to the community so that they can live productive lives, thereby reducing recidivism and increasing public safety; 2) encourage policies and practices that divert juvenile offenders from correctional facilities to appropriate community-based programs in order to reduce juvenile incarceration; and, 3) support systemic reform that reduces the rates of incarceration, including the length of incarceration, and the disproportionate confinement of racial minorities.

The Program Director will have responsibility for developing a set of strategies to meet these objectives, responding in particular to the needs of Baltimore City residents. The Program Director will work at the local and state level to implement these strategies, undertaking a combination of grantmaking, educational, convening and technical assistance activities. He or she will also represent OSI on local and statewide committees that provide a vehicle for influencing incarceration and re-entry policies.

The Program Director will work closely with relevant government agencies as well as with key non-profit organizations to reform policies and practices that contribute to over-incarceration or recidivism. The program will both introduce research-based and data-driven approaches and launch educational and advocacy activities to encourage understanding and support from policymakers and the general public. The Program Director will give priority to ensuring that reforms are structured in a way to leverage broad support and to be sustainable. She or he will also develop and organize workshops and fora for practitioners, policymakers, and community and civic leaders that provide information and generate debate about critical issues relating to the criminal justice field. Finally, the Program Director will make special efforts to engage other private funders in the criminal justice field.

In carrying out these responsibilities, the Program Director will strategically link national and local resources. To identify and develop a comprehensive approach, particularly relating to alternatives to incarceration (for youth and adults) and prisoner re-entry, the Program Director will work closely with OSI colleagues in Baltimore responsible for education, youth development and drug addiction treatment, and with colleagues in New York responsible for criminal justice programs. The Program Director will report to the Director of OSI-Baltimore.

Qualifications:

• Law degree or masters degree in related field
• Five years of policy, research, program or administrative experience in criminal justice field
• Extensive knowledge of research, policy and practice relating to alternatives to incarceration, the over-reliance on incarceration, prisoner re-entry, and the school-to-prison pipeline
• Interest in and knowledge of non-profit organizational development
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical and organizational skills
• Self-starter with ability to set and meet goals
• Capacity to work simultaneously at the local and national level
• Commitment to working as a member of a team
• Demonstrated concern for meeting the needs of youth and adults caught up in the criminal justice system

Preferred Qualification:

• Familiarity with the criminal justice system in Maryland

Salary is commensurate with experience and includes excellence benefits.

To apply for the position, please send a cover letter with resume, a list of three references and salary requirements to: OSI-Baltimore, 201 North Charles Street, Suite 1300, Baltimore, Maryland 21201 or humanresources@sorosny.org.

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