Full-Time Brutality Paralegal

Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) is seeking an outstanding full-time Brutality Paralegal advocate committed to protecting the civil rights of incarcerated individuals. The Brutality Paralegal is responsible for combatting staff-on-prisoner assaults in Massachusetts prisons and jails. The Brutality Paralegal functions as the PLS authority regarding incidents of staff-on-prisoner brutality within the MA prison system, serving as the primary resource for information on brutality trends and policies. This role involves investigating staff-on-prisoner assaults, advocating for affected prisoners, and providing legal assistance.

Responsibilities Include but not are not limited to: Client Intake:

• Handling telephone calls and reviewing correspondence from incarcerated individuals regarding staff assaults on prisoners.
• Assessing and evaluating intake matters to determine the need for further investigation
• Initiating and managing inquiries for both new and ongoing staff assault intake matters,
• monitoring all investigations, and ensuring their prompt and timely conclusion.
• Providing guidance and counsel to clients concerning their legal rights in connection with the assaults, and keeping them informed about the progress and updates in their intakes.
• Litigation and Policy support:
  • Conducting legal research, working on brutality focused projects, contributing to brutality litigation and casework, and aiding in brutality case referrals as assigned
  • Conducting meetings and interviews with incarcerated clients in Massachusetts state prisons, houses of correction, and county jails, including documenting and capturing images of physical injuries or health conditions
  • Visiting and interviewing prisoner witnesses to assaults at Massachusetts state prisons or jails
  • Creating and maintaining client files for all staff assault cases, while also ensuring the database
  • is consistently updated for accuracy
  • Monitoring all instances of brutality litigation handled internally by PLS and those that are
  • directed to external private counsel
  • Assisting in the planning of regular brutality meetings, presenting case summaries of investigated
  • cases for litigation consideration and ensuring completion of all required follow-up tasks.
  • Participate in championing the rights of incarcerated individuals through advocacy on all new and
  • ongoing staff assault matters
  • Administrative/Other:
    • Active participation in monthly PLS staff meetings and regular supervision meetings
    • Compiling statistics for brutality grant applications and reporting purposes as requested
    • Collaborating effectively with incarcerated clients, PLS team members, and the private bar.
    • Active participation in formulating strategies to attain the project's goal, including potential
    • engagement with the media, building coalitions and community organizing, and providing legislative and policy support

2

• Assisting in the supervision of student interns and volunteers on brutality work.
• Completing any additional tasks as assigned by the Brutality Project Director or Executive
• Director
• Qualifications:
• Must be comfortable engaging in frequent communication with incarcerated clients through in person visits, virtual visits, telephone and letter and advocating for their needs.
• Must have good communication, both written and oral presentation skills as well as good interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated strong organizational and administrative skills
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively with a team and independently
• Ability to think quickly and solve problems effectively
• Attention to detail required
• Sensitivity to issues and concerns of communities of color and other diverse groups is required.
• Ability to work under high-pressure conditions and handle emotionally challenging situations
• effectively
• Must be willing to travel and conduct in-person visits with individuals currently incarcerated in
• Massachusetts prisons, houses of correction, and jails.
• Applicants must have a valid driver’s license or government ID and must have no restrictions that

would prevent them from visiting clients in Massachusetts prisons or jails.

• Preferred qualifications but not required
  • Experience working with and advocating for marginalized populations
  • Experience as a paralegal, a bachelor's degree or paralegal certification
  • Proficiency in a second language, such as Spanish and Portuguese are preferred