Restorative Justice Director

Mural Arts Philadelphia is the nation’s largest public art program, dedicated to the belief that art ignites change. For over 35 years, Mural Arts has united artists and communities through a collaborative process, rooted in the traditions of mural-making, to create art that transforms public spaces and individual lives. Mural Arts engages communities in 50–100 public art projects each year and maintains its growing collection through a restoration initiative. Our core program areas - Art Education, Environmental Justice, Porch Light, and Restorative Justice - yield unique, project-based learning opportunities for thousands of youth and adults.

Each year, 15,000 residents and visitors tour Mural Arts’ outdoor art gallery, which has become part of the city’s civic landscape and a source of pride and inspiration, earning Philadelphia international recognition as the “Mural Capital of the World.”

Through participatory public art, Mural Arts Philadelphia inspires change in people, place, and practice, creating opportunity for a more just and equitable Philadelphia.

Mural Arts seeks candidates who value and demonstrate the following core competencies: committed problem solving, deep thinking and fearless creation, inquisitive learning, thoughtful communication, mindful collaboration, personal accountability, and a commitment to actively prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. Mural Arts Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Restorative justice is an alternative to traditional means of rehabilitation and punishment which brings together returning citizens and community members, focusing on conversation and understanding as the first steps on the path to healing.

Art education, paired with personal and professional development, and hands-on assistance on mural projects, forge the growth of strong, positive bonds among individuals who are incarcerated, returning citizens, justice-impacted individuals and communities. We place a strong emphasis on work readiness within our Guild program and give creative voice to people who have been disconnected from society.

Restorative Justice participants feel empowered by their accomplishments and emerge with a newfound sense of pride in their own abilities and enhanced employment readiness skills. The Restorative Justice program cultivates resilience in justice-impacted individuals, including those transitioning from incarceration back into civilian life.

Mural Arts Philadelphia is seeking a Director to lead the work of its nationally recognized Restorative Justice Program. Restorative Justice provides an opportunity for individuals to restore their relationships with themselves, their families, those experiencing harm, communities impacted by harm, and explore the opportunity for accountability. In the Restorative Justice paradigm, there is an acknowledgment of interconnectedness and alternatives to punishment. This reimaging courageously engages the first steps on the path to healing and positive contribution. 

Consistent with the multiple levels of impact Mural Arts strives to achieve across its many programs, our Restorative Justice Program aims to:

• Improve opportunities and quality of life for those in and returning from prison in order to reduce recidivism and increase chances of successful re-entry.
• Stimulate healing in communities negatively impacted by crime and incarceration, including those who are victimized by crime and the families that suffer from the disruptive effects of mass incarceration.
• Model safety and care through comprehensive programs, empowerment through art, and a focus on eliminating violence.
• Use community art and partnerships with justice and diversion organizations to engage and inform diverse audiences about specific issues and challenges relating to the justice system with the goal of creating a more supportive environment for those re-entering society.
• Develop the capacity of staff and program members to incorporate restorative practices in the community through modeling and encouraging creative and effective approaches to discipline. 
• Influence the systems that devise and implement our criminal justice system to reduce inequity and bias and pursue strategies that best serve the needs of individuals and communities.

The Restorative Justice Program accomplishes these goals through an interconnected series of activities, including: 

• High profile public art projects examining topics of critical relevance to the justice system. 
• Art workshops at state and local prisons. 
• A four-to-six-month re-entry program in which participants build intra-program relationships, learn self-care practices, public engagement skills, apprentice on public art projects, and receive job training and placement support.
• Peer mentorship and continuing support for re-entry graduates that become alumni. 
• The program also facilitates public events, symposia, and exhibitions designed to foster dialogue about key issues and offer a platform to underrepresented voices within the system. All of these efforts are led in deep collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and a vast network of partners.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and advance the vision and goals of the program in collaboration with the team and Mural Arts’ leadership.
• Supervise, mentor, and support the team assigned to the work.
• Communicate the mission of Restorative Justice as a space of positive relationship, safety, rediscovery and discovery, and skill development.
• Oversee the work of consultants, artists, instructors assigned to the program.
• Develop and maintain the partnerships necessary to advance the work in collaboration with key staff.
• Develop and manage the program’s budget.
• Evaluate the program’s offerings and innovate areas reflective of the need for this justice impacted community.
• Oversee data systems and organize the collection of necessary data, and prepare reports as required.
• Create learning spaces where curriculum and/or relevant content is organized, coordinated, facilitated and effectively presented.
• Coordinate project management of public art projects aligned with core curriculum.
• Collaborate with core support divisions (Communications, Development and Finance) to assist the efforts to fundraise, market, and track the work of the Program.
• Support the cultivation of donors interested in the work of Restorative Justice.
• Serve on Mural Arts’ leadership team and participate in strategic discussion about Mural Arts’ work and its future.
• Generate narrative reports for funding and reporting purposes.
• Serve as ambassador for Mural Arts and the Restorative Justice Program in a wide range of settings locally, nationally and internationally.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Commitment to the principles of restorative justice and restorative practices.
• Familiarity and connections with the criminal justice system.
• Experience with program development and implementation.
• Belief in the power of participatory public art to beautify, inspire and empower.
• Creative problem-solving skills.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Sensitivity to cultural, economic, gender, and sexual orientation differences.
• Alignment with core organizational values (curiosity, collaboration, innovation, diversity, equity, accountability and forgiveness).
• Ability to work well with diverse populations, especially those impacted by trauma.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in social service, criminal justice, restorative justice, program management or related field.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience managing people while effectively managing programs/projects.
• Ability to motivate and lead people and programs with vision, creativity, and strategy.
• Capacity to work collaboratively within this program and across Mural Arts to ensure a robust cross sector approach to the work.
• Capacity to develop, nurture, and advance people and partnerships.
• Strong written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to multitask and work well in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience supervising diverse teams.
• Awareness of the skills required for justice impacted individuals to reenter successfully.
• Proven experience collecting and utilizing data to inform programmatic decisions and monitor plans for restorative justice interventions.
• Strong and creative problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to justice, compassion, and restoration.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Vision for the impact of art as a catalyst for change. Team and community driven.
• Ability to develop and manage budgets.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in social service, criminal justice, or restorative justice.
• Justice impacted, and/or understanding the importance of advocacy for the justice impacted, and/or a strong knowledge of the carceral system and its impact on individuals and community.
• Strong experience with and knowledge of criminal justice. 
• Demonstrated experience working with high-risk populations.
• Excellent communications, interpersonal skills and collaborative skills.
• Ability to lead and supervise in a complex, fast paced environment.
• Flexible, self-motivated, organized, able to work well under pressure.
• Dedicated to social justice.

This job description is a summary of the duties of the above position. Other related duties may be required by the supervisor.

Salary:

This is a salaried exempt position paying in the range of $70,000 – 80,000 per year depending on experience.

Mural Arts is pleased to offer a competitive comprehensive health and dental benefits package.

For more information visit muralarts.org.

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