Vacancies

Job Title: Staff Attorney

Location: New Mexico

Compensation: $75,000 / year. This position is currently funded for one year, and employment beyond the year will be contingent on continued funding.

Application Deadline: Friday, August 23, 2024

Download Job Description as a PDF

---

About (De)serving Life:

Mission: To empower incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through legal and reentry services and build bridges for people to go from serving life to living it.

Vision: A New Mexico that has a system of public safety focused on healing from harm, rather than punishment, for all those impacted.

Values: humility, dignity, community, healing, accountability.

(De)serving Life was founded to challenge systemic injustices within the criminal legal system and promote healing and rehabilitation by providing holistic advocacy and support services for individuals navigating parole eligibility and re-entry after serving extreme sentences for crimes committed as children. Since our full-time launch in August 2023, we have been dedicated to providing quality advocacy for those who are parole-eligible, resulting in parole grants for nine individuals. Our mission also involves advocating for fair parole processes and providing holistic support services for those released from prison.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a compassionate and dedicated Staff Attorney to join our team. This is a new, grant-funded position currently funded for one year, with the possibility of extension based on continued funding. As a young and growing organization, we are committed to expanding our comprehensive parole advocacy work across New Mexico. Although we do not have a physical office yet, we are actively building our capacity to grow and serve a greater number of people navigating the discretionary parole process throughout our state.

Role Overview:

The Staff Attorney will provide pro bono legal support to clients navigating the discretionary parole process, focusing on those serving life and other extreme sentences for crimes committed as juveniles. Responsibilities also include assisting and providing consultations to client populations serving life sentences, such as geriatric and medically fragile individuals, and those sentenced as young adults.
The position also involves legal support for formerly incarcerated individuals who have returned home after serving life and other extreme sentences to support their successful reintegration into society.
Additionally, the Staff Attorney will engage in statewide outreach and training, with a focus on educating and empowering both individuals and our community partners in rural areas of the state.
An ideal candidate will be able to provide trauma-informed legal support with kindness and confidentiality, demonstrating empathy for incarcerated individuals and their families, and have a collaborative spirit when working with colleagues and community partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Representation:

• Manage a caseload of individual clients, including representation in parole hearings, post-conviction relief cases, and other legal matters related to incarceration and reentry.
• Represent clients at their parole hearings and advocate on their behalf in various legal settings.
• Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary team, to include legal assistant, mitigation specialist, and forensic experts in parole advocacy.
• Conduct client interviews, gather evidence, and prepare parole application submissions for the parole board’s review.

Client Advocacy and Support:

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, providing holistic support and guidance throughout their legal journey.
• Advocate for clients’ rights and best interests in interactions with parole boards, correctional facilities, and other stakeholders.
• Provide post-release legal services to support clients’ successful release, including housing, employment, and compliance with parole conditions.
• Collaborate with service providers and reentry assistants to support clients’ transition home.

Outreach, Training, and Travel:

• Travel to rural areas to conduct legal clinics, trainings, and outreach events to disseminate legal knowledge and promote self-advocacy in rural communities.
• Conduct in-person legal advice and counsel sessions tailored to the unique needs of rural communities, providing legal support on issues arising from criminal records.
• Develop and deliver Know Your Rights curriculum and trainings to empower individuals with essential legal knowledge on legal issues such as housing, consumer rights, family law, employment, government benefits, health, and disability rights.
• Create legal publications, including a comprehensive Pro Se Support Manual for parole and reentry, support self-advocacy and democratize legal knowledge.

Manage and Review Consultation Services:

• Oversee the intake and selection of clients for our parole consultation services.
• Conduct consultations to offer personalized legal guidance, particularly for vulnerable populations like geriatric and medically fragile individuals, and those sentenced for crimes committed as young adults.
• Create detailed written consultation memos based on thorough reviews of client records for those we cannot fully represent before the parole board, ensuring they receive the guidance needed to navigate the parole process and helping improve their chances of parole success.
• Collaborate with clients to review, edit, and draft their consultation memos, incorporating their feedback to better meet their needs.
• Train and support volunteers, including law students and attorneys, to collaborate with clients and prepare consultation memos for those navigating the discretionary parole process.

Legal Staff Supervision:

• Supervise legal support staff and volunteers, providing mentorship and guidance to support their professional development.
• Collaborate with the (De)serving Life team to develop and implement training and mentorship opportunities for new staff and volunteers.

Policy and Systemic Advocacy:

• Support policy advocacy to promote parole reform and improve reentry outcomes for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• Monitor and analyze legislative developments, advocating for policies that align with (De)serving Life’s mission and values.
• Collaborate with coalition partners to advance systemic changes in the criminal legal system.

Experience:

• Attorney licensed in the state of New Mexico.
• Experience working with people incarcerated in jail or prison (preferred but not required).
• Experience or familiarity with New Mexico’s discretionary parole system (preferred but not required).
• Experience supervising attorneys or other legal staff (preferred but not required).
• Experience working with volunteers and managing volunteer programs (preferred but not required).

Abilities and Attributes:

• Proficiency in providing trauma-informed client services.
• A willingness to approach client work with empathy, non-judgement, and confidentiality.
• Communicative team player who can manage competing and time-sensitive priorities.
• Compassion for incarcerated persons and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal legal reform.
• Excellent writing and communication skills with an ability to be persuasive, kind, and clear for various audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other relevant electronic tools, or an ability to learn on the job.

Benefits and Support:

We are a new organization with a small team. Currently, (De)serving Life cannot offer health benefits for employees. As a young and growing organization, we are actively building our capacity to expand our comprehensive parole advocacy work across New Mexico, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development. We value open conversations about the things that we need to succeed as a team. Candidates with additional questions about our employee support structures are invited to inquire during the interview process.

At (De)serving Life, we are committed to cultivating a fair and supportive culture that promotes sustainability and joy. This dedication is evident in our weekly staff meetings, where we celebrate achievements, our community gatherings, and our continuous efforts to create time and space for our team to collaborate and flourish together.

Application Instructions:

Please submit a resume and a cover letter explaining the ways in which you satisfy jobs and skills enumerated above. We also invite applicants to include in their letter why they want to advocate for people sentenced to life and long prison sentences in New Mexico. Please also include contact information for two professional or academic references materials should be submitted by email to info@de-serving.org. Applicants who submit cover letters that are not tailored to the position or the organization will not be considered.  Applications will be accepted through Friday, August 23, 2024.

(De)serving Life is committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. (De)serving Life does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people impacted by incarceration as well as from other traditionally underrepresented communities.

Job Title: Reentry Assistant

Location: New Mexico

Compensation: $33.65 per hour; 10 hours / week. This position is structured as a salaried position for $17,500 / year; $673 per two-week pay period.

Application Deadline: Friday, September 20, 2024

Download Job Description as a PDF

---

About (De)serving Life:

Mission: To empower incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals through legal and reentry services and build bridges for people to go from serving life to living it.

Vision: A New Mexico that has a system of public safety focused on healing from harm, rather than punishment, for all those impacted.

Values: humility, dignity, community, healing, accountability.

(De)serving Life was founded to challenge systemic injustices within the criminal legal system and promote healing and rehabilitation by providing holistic advocacy and support services for individuals navigating parole eligibility and re-entry after serving extreme sentences for crimes committed as children. Since our full-time launch in August 2023, we have been dedicated to providing comprehensive advocacy for those who are parole-eligible, resulting in parole grants for nine individuals. Our mission also involves advocating for fair parole processes and providing holistic support services for those released from prison.

Job Summary:

This Reentry Assistant position is fundamental to (De)serving Life’s Rising Rooted project and workplan, designed to facilitate successful reintegration for those returning home from prison. Funded by the Human Services Department rural health care grant, this role operates within our collaborative partnership with Meridian Behavioral Health.

Role Overview:

The Reentry Assistant will provide direct services and support to clients transitioning back into the community, focusing on those who have served life and other extreme sentences. Responsibilities include developing and implementing individualized reentry plans, conducting needs assessments, and providing referrals to essential services such as housing, employment, education, and healthcare. The Reentry Assistant will also collaborate with partners and stakeholders to ensure comprehensive support for clients and assist in community engagement and outreach efforts.

An ideal candidate will be able to provide trauma-informed support with kindness and confidentiality, demonstrating empathy for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families, and have a collaborative spirit when working with colleagues and community partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Support and Rapport Building:

• Provide direct services and support to clients transitioning back into the community.
• Make referrals of clients and their loved ones for therapeutic and other needed services.
• Build strong rapport with clients to understand their individual needs and challenges.
• Assist clients in developing and implementing personalized reentry plans.
• Facilitate and lead peer group support meetings.

Comprehensive Needs Assessment:

• Conduct thorough needs assessments to identify reentry needs of clients.
• Meet with the Meridian Behavioral Health team to effectively respond to these needs as a team.
• Assist in managing the referral system, ensuring timely access to necessary services for clients.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Work closely with Meridian and other partner agencies, stakeholders, and community members to ensure comprehensive support for clients.
• Facilitate meetings and maintain open communication channels with all involved parties.
• Assist in coordinating community engagement and outreach events to raise awareness and collect detailed information from clients, family members, and stakeholders to support project evaluation.

Administrative Support & Data Collection:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client case files, documenting progress and services provided.
• Support the Project Director and Reentry Coordinator in organizing and evaluating program activities.
• Collaborate with the Project Director and Meridian to gather feedback from clients and assess program effectiveness.

Experience:

• Experience working with people impacted by the criminal legal system is required. Preferential treatment will be given to candidates with lived experience involving the criminal legal system in New Mexico. This experience can be derived directly through your own incarceration or through the incarceration of a loved one and/or family member.
• Experience in case management, social work, or a related field (preferred but not required).
• Experience working with volunteers and managing volunteer programs (preferred but not required).

Abilities and Attributes:

• Proficiency in providing trauma-informed client services.
• A willingness to approach client work with empathy, non-judgement, and confidentiality.
• Compassion for formerly incarcerated persons and their family members, and a demonstrated interest in criminal legal reform.
• Communicative team player who can stay organized and manage competing and time-sensitive priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and other relevant electronic tools, or an ability to learn on the job.

Benefits and Support:

As a young and growing organization, we are actively building our capacity to expand our comprehensive reentry support work across New Mexico, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and development. We value open conversations about the things that we need to succeed as a team. Candidates with additional questions about our employee support structures are invited to inquire during the interview process.

At (De)serving Life, we are committed to cultivating a fair and supportive culture that promotes sustainability and joy. This dedication is evident in our weekly staff check-ins, where we celebrate achievements, our community gatherings, and our continuous efforts to create time and space for our team to collaborate and flourish together.

Application Instructions:

Please submit a resume and a cover letter explaining the ways in which you satisfy the jobs and skills enumerated above. We invite applicants to explain in their cover letter why they want to provide reentry services to individuals sentenced to life and long prison sentences. Additionally, we encourage applicants to share their lived experiences and/or work experience with people impacted by New Mexico’s criminal legal system. Please also include contact information for two references. Materials should be submitted by email to info@de-serving.org. Applicants who submit cover letters that are not tailored to the position or the organization will not be considered. Applications will be accepted through Friday, September 20, 2024.

(De)serving Life is committed to providing an inclusive, welcoming, and culturally responsive environment for all members of our staff, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients. (De)serving Life does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or prior contact with the criminal justice system. We strongly encourage applications from people impacted by incarceration as well as from other traditionally underrepresented communities.