A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) is a cabinet-level office with oversight of the City’s operating departments. MDO works to ensure government efficiency and coordination across city government. MDO plays a major role in creating new policies and making sure they are enacted successfully.

Within the Managing Director’s Office, the Office of Criminal Justice (OCJ) advances the Kenney administration’s goals of criminal justice reform by developing partnerships between City agencies, criminal justice partners, nonprofit organizations, and community members. OCJ serves as the mayor’s appointee to Philadelphia County’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board (CJAB) and is the point of contact for various local, state, and federal justice partners.

The Jail Population Manager monitors the population confined within the Philadelphia Department of Prisons and serves as a liaison with local, state, and federal criminal justice partner agencies to ensure appropriate movement of individuals in and out local jail facilities.

The primary ongoing responsibility of the Jail Population Manager is for the management of inmate transportation to and from Philadelphia from other facilities, monitoring individuals in need of detainer hearings from multiple authorities, and overseeing ongoing efforts to monitor trends and identify opportunities to safely reduce the local jail population.

The Jail Population Manager will frequently work with the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, the District Attorney’s Office, Defender Association of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, as well as other local, state, and federal stakeholders.

Essential Functions

For many years, Philadelphia has led the nation as the most incarcerated big city in the country. In 2009, Philadelphia’s local jail population what at an all time high, with over 10,000 people in jail on a given day. The jail facilities were over capacity and experiencing significant overcrowding.

Since that time, the City of Philadelphia and its criminal justice partner agencies have implemented a number of policy and practice changes to better monitor and reduce the local jail population. The average number of people incarcerated in Philadelphia’s local jail in 2018 was approximately 5,300 individuals. Philadelphia was able to close one of its oldest and largest jail facilities, the House of Correction, due to the population decline.

In order to ensure that Philadelphia’s local jail population remains at a manageable, the Managing Director’s Office has designated a Jail Population Manager to monitor inmate transportation, facilitate releases when appropriate, and identify trends and opportunities for improvement across the criminal justice system.

The Jail Population Manager will:

• Maintain and Review Act 82 State Inmate Transportation Lists.
  • Collaborate with Court Administration and other criminal justice stakeholders to develop the final Temporary Transfer (TT) list of eligible State Inmates in need of transportation to Philadelphia for their court hearing.
  • Draft Mass Writs for all defendants that need to be transported to the Stout Center for Criminal Justice.
  • Monitor individuals in local custody from other facilities and notify the Department of Corrections when the that and individual may be returned to the home institution.  
  • Review and approve quarterly State Inmate Transportation invoices submitted by the PA Department of Corrections to the Philadelphia Department of Prisons for reimbursement of transportation expenses.
• Monitor Certain Categories of Individuals Confined at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons who may be Eligible for Release or Transport
  • Identify and review the Detainer Population (both County and State Violations of Probation or Parole) to determine if Gagnon hearings are needed.
  • Track the court process and resolution of cases where Gagnon Hearings were requested.
  • Identify and review lists of inmates “committed and retained” at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons via Judicial order, to ensure that scheduled hearings take place.
  • Review PDP Census data on a regular basis to identify trends and troubleshoot issues that may arise.
  • Coordinate the Criminal Justice Advisory Board Prison Population Management Subcommittee where criminal justice partner agencies review population data and identify areas of improvement based on trends.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Proven working experience within the Philadelphia criminal justice system required. 

• Excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills

• Proficient in data gathering and analysis;

• Able to collaborate with all levels of government and non-governmental agencies;

• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel, Lock and Track, and CPCMS.

• Ability to work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problem, and make decisions.

• Familiarity with the rules of criminal procedure, Act 82, and other local rules impacting Philadelphia’s criminal justice system.

Work-Life

Working hours are generally 37.5 hours per week. Our team is currently hybrid with both virtual and in-office days, however the position can opt to come in the office each day if desired. That said, in order to access some of the databases requried for this job, more in office than out will be expected.

• Completion of an advanced degree at an accredited college or university in law, criminal justice, social work, public health, public administration, or similar areas of study required.
• 5 years of work experience in Philadelphia’s criminal justice system required.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Did you know?

• We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
• 25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx