Who we are:
The Vera Institute of Justice, founded in 1961, is a nonprofit criminal justice organization that strives to build just government institutions and safe communities free from the scourge of racism, white supremacy, profit, and inequity that is pervasive in this country’s legal systems. We are an “inside” lane organization that drives change at scale with ambitious public sector leaders who share our commitment to building anti-racist, reparative systems that deliver justice. We leverage our access to government to transform these systems and work collaboratively with stakeholders across many movements—including advocacy, grassroots, and grasstop organizations. Our role is to pilot solutions that are transformative and achievable, harness the power of evidence to drive effective policy and practice, and use advocacy and communications to change narratives and norms.
Vera has a staff of 300 people and offices in New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and New Orleans. We are an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity in the workplace. We expect our staff to embody respect, independence, collaboration, commitment, anti-racism, and equity—both in our outward-facing work and the internal culture of our workplace. We value a range of experiences in people’s educational backgrounds and encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system to apply.
Who you are:
The Reshaping Prosecution Program is dedicated to transforming what it means to be a prosecutor by focusing on the dignity of all people impacted by the criminal justice system. Prosecutors play a critical, but often hidden, role in mass incarceration as one of the most powerful actors in the criminal justice system. They decide who to charge with a crime, what crime to charge, whether to ask that a person sit in jail pending trial, and what sentence to ask for upon conviction. Yet, despite this immense power, prosecutors have largely not been the focus of criminal justice reform efforts until recently. Our team helps prosecutors across the country work to end mass incarceration, pursue racial equity, and be more transparent with the communities they serve.
The Research Analyst works in collaboration with other researchers and programming staff to quantify the activities of prosecutor offices that are engaged in technical assistance projects with the prosecution team. They aid in acquiring data, conduct quantitative analysis of data in case management systems, and share the findings through memos and presentations. They also incorporate supplemental data sources where useful and available. They may contribute to design and deployment of data transparency platform such as dashboards and data portals.
What you'll do:
Analyze prosecutor administrative data
- Work with other researchers to define research questions, prepare data for analysis, and derive statistics from prosecutors’ case management systems and other data sources. The objective is to identify racial disparities in outcomes and patterns of prosecution that indicate the need for reform.
Convey findings to government and community partners
- Create data visualizations of findings including charts, table, maps, and more. Prepare and deliver memos and presentations to audiences within the prosecutors’ offices and in the community.
Work with technical assistance team to interpret findings
- Discuss findings and additional research direction with team of research and program associates.
Collaborate on qualitative research
- Work with qualitative researchers where quantitative and qualitative work intersect.
What qualifications are we looking for?
- 1+ years of relevant work experience in criminal justice, criminal legal reform, or social justice fields
- Some quantitative research experience, ideally with administrative data
- Solid skills in analytic software (SQL, Python, or R preferred)
- Developing ability with data visualization and presentation and a desire to learn more
- Familiarity with data analysis and social science research methods.
- A deep commitment to racial equity and advancing anti-racism, both in our workplace and in the world. You incorporate this value, share it with others, and lead with these principles
- An enthusiasm for the technical parts of working with data, talking with people who are affected by or represented in that data, and communicating findings to people who do not have a technical data background
- You must be curious and willing to research, read, and learn continuously, and willing and able to provide your perspective on issues about which you have expertise
Preferred:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in statistics, computer science, or social science, or related field or relevant experience
- You might have experience with the justice system—either you were yourself in the system, have a family member who is/was in the system, you worked in the system, or you worked to change the system
- You are familiar with the criminal justice system, the role of prosecutors, or you are truly excited to study and learn about them
Technical knowledge we need you prepared to use:
- SQL, Python, or R (highly preferred)
- Data visualization and data science tools
- Relevant program experience for administrative data and data analysis
Location
Please note this role will report to our Brooklyn office. Vera employees adhere to a hybrid schedule and are in-office on an alternating schedule that generally amounts to 10 days per month.
Compensation
The compensation range for this position is $61,000 - $66,000. Actual salaries will vary depending on factors including but not limited to experience and performance. The salary range listed is just one component of Vera Institute’s total compensation package for employees. As an employer of choice in our field, supporting Vera staff—both personally and professionally—is a priority. To do this, we invest in the well-being of our staff through other rewards including merit pay, generous paid time off, a comprehensive health insurance plan, student loan repayment benefits, professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work, employer-funded retirement plan, and flexible time and remote work schedules. To learn more about Vera’s benefits offerings, click here.
Applications may also be faxed to:
ATTN: People Resources / Research Analyst, Quantitative, Reshaping Prosecution
Vera Institute of Justice
34 35th St, Suite 4-2A, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Fax: (212) 941-9407
Please use only one method (online, mail or fax) of submission.
No phone calls, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.
As a federal contractor, and in order to ensure a healthy and safe work environment, Vera Institute of Justice is requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccine before their start date. Employees who cannot receive the vaccine because of a disability/medical contraindication or sincerely-held religious belief may request an accommodation (e.g., an exemption) to this requirement.
Vera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.
Vera works to advance justice, particularly racial justice, in an increasingly multicultural country and globally connected world. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact, and depend on a diverse staff to carry out our mission.
For more information about Vera, please visit www.vera.org
