Volunteer Navigator Description
Are you looking to make a difference?
You can be a key person in our efforts to impact our current court system which currently provides little support for people navigating their pretrial period. You will be helping the individual, strengthening our community, and enabling pretrial justice in Cuyahoga County.
Description of duties:
You will contact individuals by phone, text, and/or email after their release from jail before trial. With information about the individual’s needs, you will assist them in meeting court requirements and getting back on track. You may connect them with supports such as court reminders, transportation, emergency housing, food, clothing, and childcare. You will receive training to fully equip you to provide these services.
Most importantly, you will be someone your client can depend on for support during this difficult time.
Job location:
You can work from home for phone calls, texts, and emailing. Training will take place at UUCC and through Zoom. If you choose, you can meet clients at the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Courthouse to provide moral support and updates at their hearings.
Your impact:
You will help people navigate a system that is complex, confusing, and not designed to promote success. Your work will demonstrate to the court that supportive services and humane treatment helps people return for their hearings and comply with court orders.
Qualifications:
A willingness to donate your time to help people navigate the criminal legal system during a trying period in their lives.
Time Commitment:
This role has a lot of flexibility, depending on your availability. You will work with the same client for several months as they wait for their court hearings. You will check in with clients at least once a month (sometimes much more frequently) to make sure they have the support they need to be successful. You will work with a few clients or many, based on your schedule.
Training:
Training will be at UUCC and online. You will be supported by our Project Manager and have regular meetings to discuss concerns, questions, and successes!
Benefits: Knowing that you are living your values – participating in a Beloved Community, and helping to demonstrate that humane, supportive approaches to pretrial justice create successful outcomes.
The Pretrial Support Team is a 2-year demonstration project funded by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland, with technical assistance from the Center for Effective Public Policy and Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research.
Please contact Pat Dillard for more information or to volunteer!
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