Gilder Search Group
Advancing Decarceration through Community-Based Care
Gilder Search Group, Los Angeles, California, United States, 90079
Advancing Decarceration through Community-Based Care
Los Angeles County has a vision for a justice system that promotes a “Care First, Jail Last” approach. Rather than relying on incarceration as the primary response, the County will safely and methodically depopulate the County jail and invest in community‑based services that address root causes of justice involvement. In June 2021, the County committed to closing Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) and enhancing the community continuum of care. The Executive Fellow will support this goal by developing and advancing a jail closure implementation plan. As a result of this work, justice‑affected Angelenos will access opportunities and care rather than incarceration.
Fellowship Dates April 27, 2026 – April 23, 2027
Salary Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market‑rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.
ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.
When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data‑driven and results‑oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.
Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full‑time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.
PROJECT CONTEXT The County of Los Angeles (LAC) has been working to address jail overcrowding for two decades and, for the last four years, it has been working to close MCJ. To achieve this goal, the County has adopted a “Care First, Jail Last” approach to justice. Rather than incarcerating people, County officials aim to divert more people to medical treatment, community‑based support, and other programs that appropriately address the drivers of justice involvement (e.g., homelessness, addiction, mental illness, poverty). The LAC Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT) is responsible for coordinating County‑wide efforts to close MCJ and build the community‑based support programs necessary to make the closure possible.
To close MCJ, LA County must reduce the overall jail population. Since 2020, the population has decreased by 4,000. The County achieved this by identifying alternatives to incarceration and connecting justice‑affected individuals with care and support. The individuals remaining in jail require additional approaches, such as new facilities (e.g., mental health and addiction services for people who cannot safely pursue outpatient options) and enhanced case processing.
Decarceration is central to LAC’s goals of promoting anti‑racism. Since Black residents comprise 8% of the County but 30% of the incarcerated population, and Latino individuals are 50% of County residents but 55% of incarcerated people, connecting justice‑affected people to opportunities and care could make the County a more inclusive, equitable place to live. In addition, the LAC Board of Supervisors has mandated that the jail closure initiative be inclusive of specific populations, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals. This could make the LAC justice system more equitable for vulnerable people whose needs are frequently overlooked and ensure that the “Care First, Jails Last” approach meets the needs of each justice‑affected person.
The County of Los Angeles will partner with FUSE to support CSIT’s closure of MCJ. The Executive Fellow will assist with CSIT’s priorities: develop an implementation plan for closing MCJ; coordinate inter‑departmental lines of effort; pilot or expand initiatives that advance MCJ’s closure; and create a data collection and monitoring system. As a result of this work, the County will effectuate the closure of Men’s Central Jail and better position justice‑affected individuals to have opportunities, resources, and alternatives to incarceration.
PROJECT SUMMARY Beginning May 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will develop deep relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including County partners (e.g., Justice Care & Opportunities Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, LAC Departments of Public Health, Mental Health, and Health Services, ), community partners, and members of the public, with an emphasis on justice‑affected BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ people, and women. The Executive Fellow will seek to understand the resources, opportunities, and aspirations these partners have for MCJ closure and the “Care First, Jails Last” agenda—and assist CSIT with a plan to implementing jail depopulation. In addition, the Executive Fellow will review best practices for decarceration nationally and, as relevant, internationally. Finally, the Executive Fellow will work with their Executive Sponsor and Project Supervisor to develop and approve specific project goals and deliverables. While these goals and deliverables will likely include the ones listed below, they may differ based on situational changes and the Executive Fellow’s specific skills and experience.
Next, the Executive Fellow will manage a major functional area of the County’s jail closure implementation plan. The plan should flow from the closure framework CSIT has developed. It should include tangible steps to advance two pillars: closing MCJ and building the community‑based support system. In addition to assisting with developing key implementation components, the Executive Fellow will provide the planning and analysis to assist CSIT with securing the Board of Supervisors’ support for the closure plan. A successful Executive Fellow will have developed an implementation plan and garnered buy‑in from County partners to execute their respective responsibilities for implementing such plans.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES By April 2027, the Executive Fellow will have conducted the following activities:
Conduct a Landscape Assessment
– Develop relationships with relevant County government, local partners, and members of the public to understand the resources, constraints, perceived opportunities, potential threats, and aspirations affecting MCJ closure and the “Care First, Jails Last” agenda. Conduct best practices research on equitable, safe decarceration in communities similar to LAC. This deliverable should include particular emphasis on how these systems can effectively serve individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated due to unmet behavioral health needs, and gaps and opportunities to improve practices.
Key inquiries include: how much community‑based capacity is needed Countywide—and where, so that service needs align equitably with resources and investment; how many beds and slots of each type are necessary to develop; and whether new facilities should be created (e.g., mental health, addiction treatment; or acute, subacute)
Identify Immediate Opportunities to Enhance the Behavioral Health System of Care
– Map and analyze the current landscape of existing behavioral health services, including outpatient, inpatient, residential, peer support, and harm reduction programs—and coordination between relevant actors. This includes the identification of:
Critical service gaps in areas such as: Crisis response/stabilization programs
Culturally appropriate care
Services for co‑occurring disorders
Service coordination
Re‑entry and continuity of care
Investments to expand and strengthen the behavioral health continuum of care, particularly in historically underserved communities; and
An integrated referral and care coordination system (e.g. primary care, behavioral health, social services, and case management supports)
Develop an Implementation Plan
– Draft an implementation plan for the community‑based behavioral health aspects of MCJ closure that informs and aligns with CSIT’s jail closure framework.
Coordinate with County Partners
– Coordinate with County partners to advance the above‑referenced implementation plan and work closely with CSIT leadership to obtain buy‑in of County partners around key milestones. Manage the strategic and collaborative process of transforming justice‑related services away from incarceration toward a holistic, community‑centered framework.
Pilot or Expand Initiatives
– Under the direction of CSIT leadership, manage initiatives that improve or expand healthcare alternatives to incarceration, or other priorities that align with the Executive Fellow’s skills and CSIT’s needs.
Project Launch Data Collection & Monitoring
– Enhance CSIT’s ability to collect and analyze relevant performance and impact data, and operational improvements. Enable them to monitor system effectiveness in real time and assess short‑ and long‑term impact.
Other Duties
– as necessary.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Executive Sponsor –
Wilford Pinkney, Jr., Executive Director, Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT)
Project Supervisor –
Chidinma Ume, Deputy Executive Director, Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT)
QUALIFICATIONS
Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action‑oriented implementation plans.
Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
Generates innovative, data‑driven, and result‑oriented solutions to complex challenges.
Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision‑making.
Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community‑based relationships.
Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.
FUSE is an equal‑opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
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Fellowship Dates April 27, 2026 – April 23, 2027
Salary Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market‑rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.
ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.
When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data‑driven and results‑oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.
Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full‑time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.
PROJECT CONTEXT The County of Los Angeles (LAC) has been working to address jail overcrowding for two decades and, for the last four years, it has been working to close MCJ. To achieve this goal, the County has adopted a “Care First, Jail Last” approach to justice. Rather than incarcerating people, County officials aim to divert more people to medical treatment, community‑based support, and other programs that appropriately address the drivers of justice involvement (e.g., homelessness, addiction, mental illness, poverty). The LAC Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT) is responsible for coordinating County‑wide efforts to close MCJ and build the community‑based support programs necessary to make the closure possible.
To close MCJ, LA County must reduce the overall jail population. Since 2020, the population has decreased by 4,000. The County achieved this by identifying alternatives to incarceration and connecting justice‑affected individuals with care and support. The individuals remaining in jail require additional approaches, such as new facilities (e.g., mental health and addiction services for people who cannot safely pursue outpatient options) and enhanced case processing.
Decarceration is central to LAC’s goals of promoting anti‑racism. Since Black residents comprise 8% of the County but 30% of the incarcerated population, and Latino individuals are 50% of County residents but 55% of incarcerated people, connecting justice‑affected people to opportunities and care could make the County a more inclusive, equitable place to live. In addition, the LAC Board of Supervisors has mandated that the jail closure initiative be inclusive of specific populations, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals. This could make the LAC justice system more equitable for vulnerable people whose needs are frequently overlooked and ensure that the “Care First, Jails Last” approach meets the needs of each justice‑affected person.
The County of Los Angeles will partner with FUSE to support CSIT’s closure of MCJ. The Executive Fellow will assist with CSIT’s priorities: develop an implementation plan for closing MCJ; coordinate inter‑departmental lines of effort; pilot or expand initiatives that advance MCJ’s closure; and create a data collection and monitoring system. As a result of this work, the County will effectuate the closure of Men’s Central Jail and better position justice‑affected individuals to have opportunities, resources, and alternatives to incarceration.
PROJECT SUMMARY Beginning May 2026, the FUSE Executive Fellow will develop deep relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including County partners (e.g., Justice Care & Opportunities Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, LAC Departments of Public Health, Mental Health, and Health Services, ), community partners, and members of the public, with an emphasis on justice‑affected BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ people, and women. The Executive Fellow will seek to understand the resources, opportunities, and aspirations these partners have for MCJ closure and the “Care First, Jails Last” agenda—and assist CSIT with a plan to implementing jail depopulation. In addition, the Executive Fellow will review best practices for decarceration nationally and, as relevant, internationally. Finally, the Executive Fellow will work with their Executive Sponsor and Project Supervisor to develop and approve specific project goals and deliverables. While these goals and deliverables will likely include the ones listed below, they may differ based on situational changes and the Executive Fellow’s specific skills and experience.
Next, the Executive Fellow will manage a major functional area of the County’s jail closure implementation plan. The plan should flow from the closure framework CSIT has developed. It should include tangible steps to advance two pillars: closing MCJ and building the community‑based support system. In addition to assisting with developing key implementation components, the Executive Fellow will provide the planning and analysis to assist CSIT with securing the Board of Supervisors’ support for the closure plan. A successful Executive Fellow will have developed an implementation plan and garnered buy‑in from County partners to execute their respective responsibilities for implementing such plans.
PROJECT DELIVERABLES By April 2027, the Executive Fellow will have conducted the following activities:
Conduct a Landscape Assessment
– Develop relationships with relevant County government, local partners, and members of the public to understand the resources, constraints, perceived opportunities, potential threats, and aspirations affecting MCJ closure and the “Care First, Jails Last” agenda. Conduct best practices research on equitable, safe decarceration in communities similar to LAC. This deliverable should include particular emphasis on how these systems can effectively serve individuals who would otherwise be incarcerated due to unmet behavioral health needs, and gaps and opportunities to improve practices.
Key inquiries include: how much community‑based capacity is needed Countywide—and where, so that service needs align equitably with resources and investment; how many beds and slots of each type are necessary to develop; and whether new facilities should be created (e.g., mental health, addiction treatment; or acute, subacute)
Identify Immediate Opportunities to Enhance the Behavioral Health System of Care
– Map and analyze the current landscape of existing behavioral health services, including outpatient, inpatient, residential, peer support, and harm reduction programs—and coordination between relevant actors. This includes the identification of:
Critical service gaps in areas such as: Crisis response/stabilization programs
Culturally appropriate care
Services for co‑occurring disorders
Service coordination
Re‑entry and continuity of care
Investments to expand and strengthen the behavioral health continuum of care, particularly in historically underserved communities; and
An integrated referral and care coordination system (e.g. primary care, behavioral health, social services, and case management supports)
Develop an Implementation Plan
– Draft an implementation plan for the community‑based behavioral health aspects of MCJ closure that informs and aligns with CSIT’s jail closure framework.
Coordinate with County Partners
– Coordinate with County partners to advance the above‑referenced implementation plan and work closely with CSIT leadership to obtain buy‑in of County partners around key milestones. Manage the strategic and collaborative process of transforming justice‑related services away from incarceration toward a holistic, community‑centered framework.
Pilot or Expand Initiatives
– Under the direction of CSIT leadership, manage initiatives that improve or expand healthcare alternatives to incarceration, or other priorities that align with the Executive Fellow’s skills and CSIT’s needs.
Project Launch Data Collection & Monitoring
– Enhance CSIT’s ability to collect and analyze relevant performance and impact data, and operational improvements. Enable them to monitor system effectiveness in real time and assess short‑ and long‑term impact.
Other Duties
– as necessary.
KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Executive Sponsor –
Wilford Pinkney, Jr., Executive Director, Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT)
Project Supervisor –
Chidinma Ume, Deputy Executive Director, Community Safety Implementation Team (CSIT)
QUALIFICATIONS
Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action‑oriented implementation plans.
Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
Generates innovative, data‑driven, and result‑oriented solutions to complex challenges.
Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision‑making.
Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community‑based relationships.
Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.
FUSE is an equal‑opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
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