Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform – New Hampshire

April 2, 2024 - With a blend of emotions, including sadness, we announce the dissolution of Citizens for Criminal Justice Reform, situated in Concord, New Hampshire. Over the past 13 years, our mission has been to advocate for a justice system that protects our community while promoting the rehabilitation of offenders and supporting the well-being of inmate families. We firmly believe that a just and humane restorative approach to criminal justice is essential for reducing recidivism and creating a safer society.

READ MORE: https://www.ccjrnh.org/articles/farewell%3A_many_thanks_your_support_and...

Our Organization Positions - Thank you to All Who Served

 

Open Position: Board Member -

Position Description:

All board members are volunteer positions. The Board receives no compensation other than reasonable expenses.  Board members provide strategic direction and oversight to the organization and lead the nonprofit in achieving its mission. Board members play an active role in fundraising, fiscal oversight and strategic planning.  In addition, they establish policies and procedures to ensure smooth operation of the organization, protection of its assets, fidelity to its mission and adherence to legal requirements and filings.

Qualifications and Attributes:

There is a range of expertise and talent that most boards need but we also look for and utilize volunteers from all walks of life. He/she should maintain knowledge of the organization and personal commitment to its goals and objectives.

Purpose:

To know and participate in approving all policies that guides the organization, its governance, and its work.

Selection:  

Nominated and voted on by current board members.

Position:

Position is a voting member of the board.

Duty:

Board members have a duty of loyalty to the organization, its staff and other board members. While differences of opinion are sure to arise, board members should seek to keep disagreements impersonal. By practicing discretion and accepting decisions made on a majority basis, board unity and confidence will be promoted.

Term:  All Board members shall serve three-year terms, but are eligible for re-election.

Key Responsibilities:

• To faithfully attend all monthly board meetings, and any annual or special meetings as required. 
• To be accessible and respond in a timely manner to all communication from the chair, and or any other board members. 
• Monitor the organization’s income and expenses; reviewing and approving the annual budget and operational business decisions.
• To be familiar with the organization’s priorities and initiatives, including its public policy activities and other initiatives.
• To faithfully and timely execute any responsibilities that I accept.
• Along with the rest of the Board, agrees to oversee (but am not involved in managing) the work of the organization.
• Review board materials prior to meetings.
• Be knowledgeable about the organization’s mission, services and programs and serve as an ambassador to the larger community.
• Make personal financial contributions to the organization and participate in philanthropic activities that support the organization as able.
• Participate in regular reviews of key metrics measuring outcomes against plans.
• Suggest possible nominees to serve on the board to ensure a diverse and engaged board.
• Prepare for and actively participate in a regular strategic planning process.
• Help ensure that the organization is complying with both state and federal requirements.
• If possible be available to serve on a committee as asked and/or appointed.
• Maintain confidentiality to protect the organization in all legal matters, privileged conversations, or Executive Session deliberations.
• Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action, and/or dismissal.

Officers and Duties: In addition to the board positions above and according to the bylaws there shall be four officers of the Board consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Their duties are as follows:

1. Chair. The Chair shall convene regularly scheduled Board meetings, and shall preside, or arrange for other members of the executive committee to preside at each meeting in the following order: Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.  (A full description is available upon request.)
2. Vice-Chair. The Vice-Chair will chair committees on special subjects as designated by the Board. (A full description of this position is available upon request.)
3. Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping records of Board actions, including overseeing the taking of minutes at all board meetings, sending out meeting announcements, distributing copies of minutes and the agenda to each Board member, and assuring that organizational records are maintained.  (A full description of this position is available upon request.)
4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall make a report at each Board meeting. The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee, assist in the preparation of the budget, help develop fundraising plans, and make financial information available to Board members and the public.  (A full description of this position is available upon request.)

If you are interested in finding out more about any of the above positions please click icon below or contact chair@ccjrnh.org

You may also send letter of interest to Dr. Robert Paradise, Ph.D., PO Box 3942, Concord, NH 03302-3942

• Provides a written monthly report of membership activity.
• Attends and reports to the annual business meeting and any other meeting deemed necessary by the Chairman.
• If elected as a board member attends monthly board meetings. (Third Tuesday of the month 7-8:30 pm)
• Serves as Chair of the Membership committee.
• Compiles and maintains membership lists, records receipts of dues and contributions, and responds to member inquiries.
• Record all members’ names, addresses, D.O.B., etc.
• Welcomes new members and issues membership cards to all members.
• Record all payments of membership dues.  
• Sends renewal notices.
• Explains privileges and obligations of membership, discusses organization problems, adjusts complaints, and provides other information to members.
• Occasionally sends newsletters, promotional materials, and other publications to persons on mailing list.

• As needed, meets with Membership Committee to suggest ways of recruiting new members and the retention of existing members.
• Suggest Membership Drive Activities

• Meets with Membership Secretary to suggest ways or recruiting and retaining members.
• Suggest Membership Drive Activities

• The chairperson works with and assists the Board Chairman by focusing on the scheduling, planning and sponsoring of CCJR social activities and is directly accountable to the Chairman of the Board.
• Schedule and preside over all meetings of the Social Planning and Events Committee.
• Attend and actively participate in all Social Committee events and promote interest in all social events through an enthusiastic attitude.
• He or she presides over meetings of the committee and conducts its business in an orderly fashion.
• Keep the governing board apprised of plans and progress.

• Schedule and prepare for the Annual Meeting to be held in March every year.
• Schedule the CJCR BBQ and/or social(s) at the very least on an annual basis.

CCJR-NH Social Media Manager

Job Description: The CCJR Social Media Manager is a volunteer support person in the organizational functions of CCJR-NH. That person works with and assists the Board Chairman by maintaining any social media sites delegated to him/her.

Qualifications and Attributes: He/she should have good analytical skills and demonstrate ability to execute an organization’s social media strategy.  He/she should seek to understand the mission and vision of the organization for which they are writing and posting for. He/she should maintain an in-depth knowledge of our organization and posses a personal commitment to its goals and objectives.

The Social Media Manager should exhibit an in-depth knowledge of social media and should strive to keep up with the latest social media trends. Ideally, they should possess excellent writing skills with an emphasis on catering to an online audience.

Purpose: The Social Media Manager is responsible for maintaining Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites the organization may approve and assign to his/her care.  Goals include driving traffic to our domain www.ccjrnh.org and other social media sites in an effort to increase the public’s awareness of criminal justice issues, and to garner new membership and donations.  

Position: The Social Media Manager shall be a board member.  (Board members attend monthly meetings and enjoy voting rights.)  Should a social media committee be formed the manger will serve as the chair of the committee.

Selection: The Social Media Manager/Chairman is appointed by the Chairman of the Board and is directly accountable to the chair with board oversight.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as chair of the social media committee.
• Provides a monthly oral or written report of activity to the governing board.
• Submits any suggestions, requests or needs in writing to the Chairman of the Board before a scheduled monthly board meeting. These shall be included on the agenda.
• Attends and submits a written report to the annual business meeting and any other meeting deemed necessary by the chairman of the governing board.
• Attends monthly board meetings. (Third Tuesday of the month 7-9:00 pm)
• Compile and maintain CCJR activity and announcements and posts them at the request of the Chairman of the Board.
• In an effort to remain within the mission and goal of CCJR, the Social Media Manager shall seek permission of the Chairman of the Editorial Committee before posting materials not previously authorized or directly aligned with our mission.
• Responsible for representing our mission and vision on social media platforms as well as developing social media campaigns.
• He/she will also be in charge of answering questions from followers, and replying to comments on their social channels.
• They shall be responsible for promoting events, contests, or new legislative news on our organization’s social channels.
• There should be a daily effort to check social media sites to respond to comments, and keep information current and fresh.
  • Review current events by monitoring local, state and national news formats as well as criminal justice groups and publications.
  • Review materials acquired by board members and the public.
  • When it comes down to it, social media management is about personal relationships.

The goal is to humanize our brand (mission) in order to relate to our audience. Strive to put yourself in the mindset of our membership and social followers. We are trying to build a community of supporters that includes loved ones and friends of the incarcerated and the public at large.

Committee Meetings:  In the event that a Social Media Committee is formed the committee chair shall be responsible to schedule and hold meetings to be held no less than bi-annually to set goals and strategy. Meetings may be held in person, by telephone, or otherwise as mutually agreed upon by committee members.   Committee members are expected to fully participate in committee activities by attending meetings and conducting business by telephone and written communications.

Monthly Reporting

Social Media Committee members shall elect their own recording secretary to take meeting minutes.  The committee chair or recording secretary shall prepare a written report following any meeting or activity of the committee for inclusion on the agenda at the next meeting of the governing board. Written reports shall be filed in the official records.  If no activity has occurred an oral update shall suffice.

Annual Report: The Social Media Manager/chair shall present to the governing board, and/or the public annual meeting, a written report which shall include but not limited to the following:

• Number of committee meetings if a committee exists.
• A summary of the committee’s proceedings and activities for the preceding year.
• An accounting of the social media activity and results:
  • Mentions and Shares: the number of times the brand comes up in social media conversation and the number of times these conversations are shared.
  • Followers and LIKES
  • Impressions: the number of potential views that a message has.
  • Reach: the number of people who have received or viewed a publication.
  • Social Sessions: the number of site visits, blog post views, etc.
  • Recommendations for the New Year.

Public Relations Committee Members (PRC) –

• Chairperson needed (possible Spokesman position) to be appointed or hired.  A spokesperson's major responsibility is to provide a public voice for an organization, whether it be a business, non-profit, or government agency. Within that role, a spokesperson usually conducts most correspondence with media outlets, such as newspapers and radio stations. A spokesperson may also communicate with members of the public who have questions about an organization.  (Job Description to be developed).

                                                           Legislative Policy Committee

Committee Chairman: 

Position Open: Committee Members

Membership: The CCJR Legislative Policy Committee (LPC) shall be comprised of not less than 3 and not more than 5 members. The Chairman of the Board shall be an ex-officio member of the LPC.  Committee members shall be nominated and appointed by the Board of Directors as the need arises. The term of office for LPC members shall be two calendar years. There is no limit to the number of terms to which an LPC committee member may be re-appointed.  Members serve in a voluntary capacity and may be removed by majority vote of the executive board. A committee member may resign by giving written notice to the LPC chair who will inform the Chairman of the Board. 

Eligibility: To serve on the LPC, a nominee must be an active member of CCJR and have exhibited an interest in legislative policy and substantial agreement with the stated goals of CCJR. The LPC chair shall be a member of the Board of Directors and appointed by the Chairman of the Board. 

Meetings: The LPC chair shall be responsible to schedule and hold meetings to be held no less than bi-monthly to discuss legislative issues, goals and strategy. Meetings may be held in person, by telephone, or otherwise as mutually agreed upon by committee members.  LPC members shall elect their own secretary to record meeting minutes.

Responsibilities: The LPC shall formulate and recommend legislative priorities to the governing board in accordance with guidelines governing 501 (c) (3) organizations. To accomplish this goal, the LPC shall:

• Make recommendations to the governing board on bills CCJR should seek to have introduced into the legislature.
• Draft language for proposed bills the governing board has voted to introduce to legislation.
• Seek legislative sponsors for CCJR proposed bills.
• Evaluate bills as they are introduced for legislative consideration to determine whether they favorably or adversely affect the mission and vision of CCJR, and recommend CCJR positions to the governing board.
• Coordinate testimony for or against pending legislation, finding appropriate people to write position statements, to contact legislators, and to speak before legislative committees.
• In situations in which a bill or question comes up urgently and the governing board has not had opportunity to take an official position, the LPC member will contact the Chairman of the Board or his designee and the other members of the LPC to seek input and guidance before officially taking a position on behalf of CCJR. 

Monthly Report: The LPC chair shall be responsible to submit a monthly update to the executive board. Following any LPC meeting, testimony, or official activity of any kind, the committee chair or secretary shall prepare a written report for inclusion in the agenda at the next scheduled meeting of the governing board. Written reports shall be filed in the official records.  If no activity has occurred an oral update shall suffice.

All LPC recommendations and proposed agenda items shall be sent to the chair no later than 48 hours before the next scheduled board meeting.

Annual Report: The LPC chair shall present to the governing board, and/or the public annual meeting, a written report which shall include but not limited to the following:

• Members and number of meetings
• A summary of the Committee’s proceedings and activities for the preceding year.
• Bills supported and opposed
• Accomplishments
• Recommendations for the new year

Board to Retain Flexibility: The Board of Directors reserves the right to establish special rules and may amend this policy at any time. If there is a conflict between this policy and the organization’s charter or by-laws the latter shall govern.

Temporary Ad-hoc Committees -

• Ad hoc Committee on Litigation: – Job description on file
• Inmate Newsletter Project –
• DOC Ad hoc Committee on State Prison Issues

CCJR AD-HOC COMMITTEE - JOB DESCRIPTION

The specific purpose of each Ad-hoc committee varies.  Ad-hoc is a word that originally comes from Latin and means “for this” or "for this situation."  Examples are nominating committees, research or study committees, etc.

In current American English it is used to describe something that has been formed or used for a specific problem or task, or special and immediate purpose, without previous planning.

The difference between regular “standing” committees and an Ad-hoc committee is that Ad-hoc committees are temporary created for a specific short term task. In essence, an Ad-hoc   committee is a crisis committee and is temporary in nature, formed for a specific task or objective, and dissolved after the completion of the task or achievement of the objective. 

Generally, the primary function of an Ad-hoc committee is to do research and provide specific advice and suggestions. The advice and suggestions should focus on the purpose and duties stated in the board resolution establishing the committee. It is the board's role to take action based on information received from the Ad-hoc committee and other sources.  Ad-hoc committee’s are created to do exploratory work, and have no decision making authority.

Ad-hoc Committee Chairman: Ad-hoc committee chairman are appointed by the Chairman of the Board and is directly accountable to him/her.

Role of an Ad-hoc Committee Member: The primary role of an Ad-hoc committee member is to be a productive, positive member of the committee. In doing so, it is important to listen to and respect the opinions of others.  When the Ad-hoc committee makes a recommendation to the board, it is important for the Ad-hoc committee members to support the majority decision of the Ad-hoc committee. An Ad-hoc committee will function best when its members work within the committee framework and bring items of business to the Ad-hoc committee.

Ad-hoc Committee Membership: Ad-hoc committee members must be appointed by the board. The board may also request input from individuals or organizations, or it may seek volunteers to serve. Only the governing board has the authority to appoint members to an Ad-hoc committee. Boards must follow the legal limitations or requirements regarding the membership of an Ad-hoc committee.

Meetings of the Ad-hoc Committee:  Committee members are expected to fully participate in committee activities by attending meetings and conducting business by telephone and written communications and meet in person as needed until their task is completed or the committee is dissolved.

Monthly Reporting: The committee chair or secretary shall prepare a written report following any meeting or activity of Ad-hoc committee for inclusion on the agenda at the next meeting of the governing board and an annual report at the close of the fiscal year. Written reports shall be filed in the official records.  If no activity has occurred an oral update shall suffice.

Other Committee Positions Needed:

Editorial Committee Members (EC) – Job description on file

Social Planning and Events Committee (SPEC) – Job description can be seen above

• Need SPEC Chairman and committee members