Jail Population Manager

Job Description

Position Summary

For many years, Philadelphia had led the nation as the most incarcerated big city in the country. In 2009, Philadelphia’s local jail population was at an all-time high, with nearly 10,000 people in our local jail on a given day.

Since that time, the City of Philadelphia and its criminal justice partner agencies have implemented several policy and practice changes to better monitor and safely reduce the local jail population. In order to ensure that Philadelphia’s local jail population continues to strive towards a safe and sustainable level, the Office of Public Safety, in partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, has designated a Jail Population Manager to monitor inmate transportation, identify opportunities for releases when appropriate, and identify trends and opportunities for improvement across the criminal justice system.

This position will also serve as a broader policy advisor for criminal justice matters throughout the Office of Criminal Justice and report directly to the Executive Director for the Office of Criminal Justice.

Essential Functions

The Jail Population Manager will:

• Maintain and Review Act 82 State Inmate Transportation Lists.
  • Collaborate with Court Administration and other criminal justice stakeholders to develop the final Temporary Transfer (TT) list of eligible State Inmates in need of transportation to Philadelphia for their court hearing.
  • Draft Mass Writs for all defendants that need to be transported to the Stout Center for Criminal Justice.
  • Monitor individuals in local custody from other facilities and notify the Department of Corrections when the that and individual may be returned to the home institution.  
  • Review and approve quarterly State Inmate Transportation invoices submitted by the PA Department of Corrections to the Philadelphia Department of Prisons for reimbursement of transportation expenses.
• Monitor Certain Categories of Individuals Confined at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons who may be Eligible for Release or Transport
  • Identify and review the Detainer Population (both County and State Violations of Probation or Parole) to determine if Gagnon hearings are needed.
  • Track the court process and resolution of cases where Gagnon Hearings were requested.
  • Identify and review lists of inmates “committed and retained” at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons via Judicial order, to ensure that scheduled hearings take place.
  • Review PDP Census data on a regular basis to identify trends and troubleshoot issues that may arise.
  • Co-facilitate the Criminal Justice Advisory Board Prison Population Subcommittee and Jail Reduction Strategies workgroup where criminal justice partner agencies review population data and identify areas of improvement based on trends.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven working experience within the Philadelphia criminal justice system required. 

• Excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills

• Proficient in data gathering and analysis;

• Able to collaborate with all levels of government and non-governmental agencies;

• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, ATIMS, and CPCMS.

• Ability to work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problem, and make decisions.

• Familiarity with the rules of criminal procedure, Act 82, and other local rules impacting Philadelphia’s criminal justice system.

Qualifications

Completion of an advanced degree at an accredited college or university in law, criminal justice, social work, public health, public administration, or similar areas of study required.

5 years of practical work experience in Philadelphia’s criminal justice system required.

Practicing attorneys with relevant experience in criminal court in Philadelphia are strongly encouraged to apply.