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Falll 2023
Now Hiring

Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation),

parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.

We encourage people who have been directly impacted

by the criminal legal system

and policing systems to apply.

Lead Organizer

Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition

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Application due: 

November 8, 2023


The Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition is seeking a full-time lead organizer for a one year position (subject to possible renew) to help coordinate our active campaigns and help us to transition the organization from a volunteer-led grassroots initiative into a robust nonprofit that can steer substantive policy changes in Cuyahoga County’s criminal justice system. The ideal candidate is an experienced community organizer or campaigner, coalition-builder, and strategist who deeply believes in the importance of building community leadership, capacity, and people power. 

 

The coalition was formed in 2018 in response to a rash of eight deaths in three months at the Cuyahoga County Jail.  Over the last five years we have been one of the primary grassroots organizations advocating for deep systemic change in our justice system as the situation on the inside has continued to deteriorate and people incarcerated there have continued to die.  We believe the jail’s problems start with the fundamental lack of compassion and respect for the human beings incarcerated there, who by and large have not been convicted of any crime.  Dysfunction in the courts, the local police departments, and the county government have created an environment that is consistently overpopulated, abusive, and incapable of providing for the basic needs of those locked up.

 

We believe that profound change is both possible and necessary, and are currently engaged in two active campaigns: 

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  • Care not Cages: Focused on organizing a base of public support for more rehabilitative practices and alternatives to incarceration through community education and advocacy with legislators.  

  • No New Jails: Focused on preventing the construction of an expensive and less accessible new jail facility when the local government has consistently proved incapable of improving conditions at the current one, which consultants have suggested can be renovated if the daily population can consistently be lowered.  

 

The lead organizer will be responsible for supporting the ongoing campaigns in addition to taking primary responsibility for guiding the growth of the organization and building the infrastructure for a third campaign: Stop the Inhumanity, focused on creating an effective independent watchdog for conditions inside the jail.  This will be achieved through volunteer recruitment, meetings with stakeholders and elected officials, attendance at community meetings, and direct outreach to both currently and formerly incarcerated members of the community.  The lead organizer will be the sole full-time staff position but will be supported by a part time administrator, two part time campaign organizers, and a number of part time fellows.  The Lead Organizer will report directly to the Coalition Steering Committee.


 

Responsibilities:

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  • Coordinate between campaigns and programs including No New Jails, Care Not Cages, Stop the Inhumanity and be knowledgeable about their work and its intersections with yours.

  • Spend 3-5 hours per week assisting with Care Not Cages work

  • Lead Stop the Inhumanity program (current jail conditions)

  • Monitor news for misconduct

  • Outreach to affected community

  • Connect with services

  • Manage mutual aid fund for those victimized (including fundraising)

  • Create and implement effect advocacy campaigns for systemic problems

  • Develop overarching campaign for existing conditions (around food, staffing, etc)

  • Engage with other city/county/NE Ohio/state groups on jail conditions

  • Become community spokesperson for existing jail conditions

  • Lead base building group, develop vision and plan

  • Develop Jail Co outreach/base building plan

  • Manage tabling and other outreach

  • Help coordinate quarterly mass movement meetings for Jail co

  • Work with comms to make persuasive, appropriate outreach materials

  • Attend steering meetings and present current work

  • Attend relevant coalition meetings as rep of Jail Co (ACLU, NEOCH, REACH, GCC)

  • Maintain notes/information in jail co cloud based archives

  • Attend relevant county/city council meetings

  • Manage one/two fellows per fall/spring

 

Skills:

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  • Ability to manage a constantly shifting workload and proactively communicate needs and issues that may arise

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

  • Digital literacy and comfort using social media to conduct outreach

  • Research skills

  • Comfort with public speaking and meeting with elected officials

  • Experience with the social tools used by community organizers to build campaigns including agitational conversations, 1 to 1’s, maintaining a base of volunteer leaders, etc.

  • Ability to learn on the job, ask questions, and admit a need for help

  • Tact and emotional sensitivity when dealing with affected community members is essential  

  • Familiarity with: Canva, Action Network, Wix, Google Suite, Zoom

 

Special consideration may be given to candidates who meet any of the following criteria:

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  • Direct personal experience of incarceration

  • Experience with legislative advocacy or policy research around criminal justice

  • A background in trauma-informed care

  • The ability to speak a second language (Spanish, Mandarin, or Arabic in particular) and conduct additional outreach within Greater Cleveland’s large immigrant communities.

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About this position

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  • Full time

  • Based in Cuyahoga County

  • One year, subject to renewal

  • Offering health insurance stipend

 

Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. We encourage people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system and policing systems to apply.

 

All interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to jailcoalition@gmail.com with the subject line “Lead Organizer Position”.  This is a full-time hybrid position and will require residence within the Greater Cleveland metropolitan area.  

 

Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as they are ready. We will close the application process on November 8, 2023.



 

Cuyahoga County Jail Coalition

Email JailCoalition@gmail.com

Website http://cuyahogacountyjailcoalition.com/

Facebook @JailCoalition

Twitter @JailCoalition

Instagram @JailCoalition

Campaign Field Organizer

No New Jail Cuyahoga

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Application due: 

Rolling; deadline October 23

No New Jail Cuyahoga Co. is seeking a passionate and motivated Campaign Field Organizer to build our campaign by driving a countywide campaign to fight against the building of a new jail.

 

The ideal candidate is an experienced community campaigner, coalition-builder, and strategist who deeply believes in the importance of building community leadership, capacity, and people power. 

 

As a Campaign Field Organizer, you will play a crucial role in raising awareness, gathering support, and mobilizing the community against the unnecessary expenditure of community money on a new jail. This person will drive a volunteer staff team and be responsible for mapping out and executing a comprehensive strategic campaign plan.  You will report to both the Campaign Manager and Campaign Supervisor, working closely with them to execute campaign strategies effectively. They will also work closely with existing community leaders, community organizers, and core partners in building the campaign.

 

This job is part-time with expectations that part-time is equal to a minimum of 10 hours per week and a maximum of 20 hours of work per week. 

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

 

  • Collect signatures from community members who oppose the construction of a new jail in Garfield Heights, Ohio

  • Conduct surveys to gather valuable data and insights regarding public opinion on the issue

  • Plan and organize informational in-person and virtual meetings, events, and direct actions to educate the public about the problems associated with building a new jail and the financial implications

  • Disseminate campaign-related information promptly upon the request of the Campaign Supervisor and Campaign Manager

  • Attend public meetings, such as city council meetings, not held by our campaign, and rally our supporters to express their opposition to the new jail construction

  • Assist in the distribution of campaign signs, literature, and emails to individuals on our email list

  • Initiate orientation and training programs for volunteers

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Skills and Qualifications

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Required: 

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  • Strong commitment to the campaign's mission and values

  • Deep and demonstrated commitment to social, gender, economic, and racial justice

  • Experience in grassroots organizing, labor, or political organization

  • Strong analytical skills and sound judgment

  • Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

  • Persuasive verbal and writing skills, including the ability to communicate effectively in a charged atmosphere

  • Demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, one-on-one and in a group

  • Self-starter with the ability to thrive in a team environment

  • Capacity to multitask in a fast-paced setting

  • Proven ability to work with emotional intelligence, receive feedback, work through conflict with integrity, and operate within principles of solidarity when working in partnership with groups representing constituencies impacted by oppression.

  • Ability to establish credibility and respect with volunteers, and an understanding of how to build and maintain strong, long-term relationships

  • Proven capacity to effectively and thoughtfully lead volunteers and meet goals

  • Willingness to work irregular hours, including nights/ weekends, depending on campaign needs

  • Ability to sit and/or stand for long periods in order to perform routine office tasks and staff events.

  • Must read and respond to correspondence (emails, texts, voicemails) quickly and professionally

  • Car and valid driver’s license required

  • Intermediate computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Gmail, and GSuite

 

Join our team and make a difference in Garfield Heights, Ohio, by mobilizing the community to oppose the unnecessary construction of a new jail. Together, we can advocate for repairing the current jail instead. Apply now and be a part of our campaign to promote responsible use of citizen money. 

 

No New Jail Cuyahoga provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. NNJ-C encourages people who have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system and policing systems to apply.

 

TO APPLY

Email cover letter, resume, and three professional references to nonewjailcuyahoga@gmail.com 

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Rolling application, due no later than October 23rd.

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