Job Description

Data Scientist

LOCATION: New York or Washington, D.C.

Reports to: Senior Director of Implementation 

About REFORM Alliance: 

REFORM is committed to transforming probation and parole throughout the United States by changing laws, systems, and culture. The organization is working to replace America’s criminal justice system with a restorative approach that is fair, accountable, and invested in rehabilitation. Our goal is for people to reenter society with dignity, create meaningful pathways to work, and equip them with the tools to succeed all while making families and communities safer and stronger.

REFORM was founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement. The Board includes award-winning recording artist Meek Mill ; Fanatics executive chairman Michael Rubin ; Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold ; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter ; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft ; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz ; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, CEO Robert F. Smith ; Brooklyn Nets co-owner, businesswoman, investor, and philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai ; and CEO and President of Live Nation Entertainment Michael Rapino ; and Co-founder and Executive Chairperson of Cincoro Tequila Emilia Fazzalari . Criminal justice advocate Jessica Jackson leads the organization as CEO.

Purpose:

We are seeking a Data Scientist with expertise in data exploration, collection, categorization, analysis, and presentation to join our team. You will contribute to REFORM’s advocacy efforts by documenting and enhancing our initiatives. As a Data Scientist, you will play a pivotal role in a new project team focused on ensuring that criminal justice reforms achieve their full potential. You will help implement evidence-based policies effectively, measure the impact of new laws comprehensively, and develop more accurate systems to better reflect the experiences of the individuals and communities involved.

The Data Scientist will be responsible for tracking the impact of legislative bills, particularly implementation and data collection and will take the lead on both quantitative and qualitative analyses to gain deeper insights into the effects and progress of recent reforms within state parole and probation systems. Additionally, you will educate stakeholders on the significance of these policies while providing technical support for bills through strategic initiatives. Your expertise will be invaluable as we refine our strategies and maximize the positive impact of these reforms.

Responsibilities:

• Document the status of impact (number of people affected, monetary and otherwise) and implementation for policies advanced by REFORM. 
• Interview government departments and stakeholders to directly collect relevant data.
• Prepare, refine, and categorize data for future analysis.
• Gather non-public data directly from government agencies, utilizing a variety of techniques, including direct inquiries, information requests, and other strategic approaches, to acquire relevant information
• Solve for missing gaps, including use of creative and effective advanced modeling and research design to estimate and assess impact from available sources and accessible data, when direct sources and precise data is not readily available. 
• Create research frameworks and establish datasets, maintaining them consistently for ongoing use.
• Clean and categorize this data, leveraging it to generate internal analyses, develop projections, and formulate estimates grounded in direct data or through meticulous data analysis and triangulation.
• Develop solutions and prediction models to tackle identified gaps in the field and address common challenges.  
• Collaborate with members of the Advocacy Team and other departments to deliver comprehensive, data-driven reports on REFORM's impact.
• Summarize discoveries into concise notes for policy staff and senior leadership, and craft engaging presentations for REFORM team members, leadership, Board members, and partners, effectively communicating key findings with clarity and impact.

• Analyze impacts of draft legislation, proposed legislation, other relevant legislation, executive orders, administrative changes, regulations, and practices.

Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in data science, statistics, economics, or similar field.
• Experience and recognized expertise in developing and leading applied research about the criminal justice system. 
• Comfort engaging in primary and secondary research, interpreting data, and performing original empirical analyses. 
• Demonstrated technical experience in programming, database management, and/or statistical analysis, including Python, R, Stat, Pandas, SQL, and/or advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Demonstrated ability to project or estimate data when direct data is inaccessible, and comfort in creating estimates.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills, organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including proven ability to work effectively with a team and communicate research findings to a broad range of audiences.

Salary: $95,000

At REFORM Alliance, we strive to move hearts and minds to create a more humane criminal justice system. This requires us to maintain a company culture that values employee individuality and community development. We are committed to fostering an environment that is inclusive, empowering, and globally minded. We firmly believe that diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, cultural background, religion, disability and age produces ideas and perspectives that make our efforts stronger for people unjustly in the system and make our company a better place to work. Our leadership team is committed to embedding diversity and inclusion into everything we do and how we lead.

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