College of Charleston: Criminal Justice Minor

About Internships

All students who declare a minor in Crime, Law and Society are required to complete an internship after finishing SOCY 341 (Criminology) and POLS 220 (Criminal Justice). .

Internships should be arranged with the program director the semester before the internship will be completed. Thus, internships done in the Fall should be arranged the preceding Spring semester and Spring internships should be arranged during the preceding Fall semester. Summer internships are not available unless the internship site only offers internships over the summer. Please contact Professor Heath Hoffmann (953-8182 or hoffmannh@cofc.edu) for more information.

Internship Sites for Crime, Law and Society Minor
College of Charleston

Alston Wilkes Society

According to its website, “ The Alston Wilkes Society's vision is to provide offenders, former offenders, the homeless, troubled youth, veterans and their families the tools they need to become productive citizens.” Interns will learn all facets of the organization’s activities. This will include accompanying a staff person to correctional facilities to assist with work shops for offenders who will be released soon and interns will also have the opportunity to carry their own caseload. Thus, interns will learn how to handle cases, how to assess the needs of men leaving prison, complete case notes, how to find jobs for men leaving prison and how other local agencies work together to facilitate the successful reentry of men into the community. Interns may also have the opportunity to conduct special projects (e.g., run an employment workshop or coordinate a clothing drive) of interest to them.

Alston Wilkes is located in Summerville, SC so interns must have reliable transportation that will enable them to travel to Summerville and other local sites during the semester.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Click on "American Civil Liberties Union" above, and you will see a list of ACLU internships around the country. Most of these internships occur during the summer months and some of these internships will fulfill the CRLS 400: Internship requirement for the Crime, Law and Society program. Consult the director of the Crime, Law and Society program to determine if a specific internship will fulfill the internship requirement.

Charleston County Detention Center--Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS)

DAODAS provides substance abuse counseling services to men and women incarcerated at the Charleston County Detention Center. Interns will be required to assist with intake assessments and group therapy sessions with the goal of leading their own educational seminar for program participants by the end of the semester. Interns will also be expected to assist the DAODAS staff with everyday office management tasks (e.g., copying and filing). This internship is a great opportunity for students interested in counseling as a profession as you will receive hands-on experience and practice in the delivery of counseling services.

Charleston County Sheriff’s Office

Interns rotate through various sections of sheriff's department including patrol, community service, detectives and juvenile detention.
This internship is ideal for students interested in law enforcement in rural areas

City of Charleston Police Department: Neighborhood Watch and Community Crime Prevention

Interns will assist Sgt. Shelor in organizing neighborhood watch meetings, gathering and processing data on crime to present to neighborhood watch groups, and assist in other activities related to crime prevention.

Charleston Police Department

Interns rotate through all departments (Booking, 911, traffic detectives, etc.) and do “ride-alongs” with police officers.

Coastal Pre-Release Center (South Carolina Department of Corrections)

Coastal Pre-Release Center provides an environment conducive to rehabilitation through work programming, pre-release programming/training, and other relevant programs as a means of reintegrating the offender back into the community. Ninety-six of the facility's beds are dedicated to the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Interns will have the opportunity to do the following: a ttend weekly staffing briefings at 9:00 a.m. each Monday, attend at least one classification board hearing, work with a staff member from the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon to assist with the programming to prepare men for release, assist the Warden and her staff with administrative duties necessary for the daily functioning of the facility, work with correctional officers to learn about their perceptions of the challenges and nature of controlling and relating to the inmate population and work with prisoners to learn about their perception of their past crimes and their expectations for reentry.

Community Juvenile Arbitration Program, Solicitor's Office

Students are responsible for assisting the director and staff with case management of juveniles involved in the arbitration program. Interns communicate with all parties involved in an offense committed by a juvenile, including the juvenile offender, the offender’s parent(s), the victim of the offense and police officers working on the case. You will also help to monitor juveniles’ cases, ensuring that they meet the terms of their arbitration agreement. Interns may also tour juvenile detention centers, adult jails and prisons, as well as the medical trauma center. Lastly, students observe court trials and assist attorneys and other staff members during the trial process.

Crime Scene Unit (Charleston Police Department)

Prerequisite: The Crime Scene Unit requires that interns from the College of Charleston be a declared major in chemistry or biology.

INTERNSHIPS WITH THE CRIME SCENE UNIT HAVE BEEN INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED BY THE CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center (DNLCC)

The mission of the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center (DNLCC) is to keep children safe from abuse, and when abuse occurs, to work with the community to bring healing to these children and their families. The DNLCC achieves this mission by creating a child-friendly, child-focused environment; developing and delivering quality services; ensuring a coordinated response by partnering with community agencies and not duplicating services; engaging in research and adopting best practices to improve our services and knowledge; and empowering adults to understand the problem and its solutions.

Students interested in completing an internship with the DNLCC may be eligilbe for two different internship experiences: 1) Multidisciplinary Team Internship and 2) the Child Advocate Internship. Each is described below.

Multidisciplinary Team Internship: Interns assist the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Facilitator on duties involving collaborations of community partners including weekly community staff meetings. Interns will be responsible for the following:

Reponsible for helping the MDT Coordinator with identifying and addressing gaps and duplication in community services by assisting with coordinating and moderating monthly Community Task Force meetings to problem solve around identified issues.
Help to ensure that the DNLCC's clients receive a streamlined community response by assisting the MDT Coordinator with coordinating and leading MDT/Case Management Staffings with community partners in Charleston/Berkely Counties on a weekly/montly basis, respectively.
Assisting with tracking and entering statistical data into DNLCC databases.
Help maintain relationships with community partners by documenting and communicating recommendations developed during Case Management Staffings to appropriate agencies.

Child Advocate Internship: Interns supervise the lobby, and when children are present interns interact with them to help reduce the stress and anxiety related to separation from their caregiver, the forensic interview and treatment process. Interns will be responsible for the following:

Serve as a liaison between the client and the DNLCC staff and be a professional representative of the DNLCC to the clients served.
Spend time with the children by playing games, making crafts, reading stories and other creative activities to enrich their time in the waiting area.
Assist with administrative tasks assigned by the supervisor or staff.
Help with public awareness and fundraising events.

Department of Juvenile Justice: Probation and Parole or Victim Services

Interns assistance with both intake and probation for juvenile offenders. Interns also provide direct services to victims of juvenile crime while the offender is in the pre-adjudication, supervision, and/or commitment stage within the juvenile justice system.

Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services

Interns observe and assist agents with duties necessary to supervise offenders assigned to the Charleston County Office of Probation, Parole and Pardon services. This includes taking progress reports, entering information into the Offenders Information System, observing bond and revocation hearings and riding along on home visits.

Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services: Moncks Corner Office

Interns provide general assistance to staff.

Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services: Community Control Center

Community control center for high risk offenders (often with drug problems or who have had probation violations). Offenders are involved in a work-release program where they work during the day and sleep at the center at night. Interns work in the later-afternoon and early evening hours to assist staff in organizing activities for offenders.

Drug Court, Charleston County

Elder Supportline

The purpose of Elder Supportline is to provide a direct, confidential line with the Charleston Police Department to report cases of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. This program offers support and encouragement to the elderly, and their families, combining law enforcement and social work to combat the injustices that have plagued our elderly population for so long. Elder Supportline’s resource and referral service assists callers with a range of services including:

Home health services
Nursing home information
Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security
Information on area organizations which assist the elderly
Nutrition and transportation programs
Legal matters
Prevention tips

Interns will have an opportunity to perform a range of activities that give them hands on experiences in working with elderly persons who have been abused, neglected or exploited. Among other things, your activities may include, but are not limited to the following:

Accompanying the program director to visit elderly clients at home
Accompanying the program director to probate, criminal and/or family court to serve as an advocate for an elderly client
Independently calling elderly clients to check on their well-being

Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC)

"The FLETC College Intern program provides a unique opportunity for college students majoring in Criminal Justice, Criminology, or a related field of study from across the country, to participate in a Federal Law Enforcement training environment. Each year, three intern sessions lasting twelve (12) weeks, are conducted at the FLETC, exposing selected interns to world-class training, broadening their horizons and helping to develop a foundation for a career in federal law enforcement.

"Interns, after being selected to participate in the highly selective program, are assigned to a mentor from one of the FLETC’s training divisions or partner organizations. During their stay at FLETC, college interns spend approximately fifty-percent of their time completing worthwhile work to advance the mission of FLETC and the remaining fifty-percent, attending basic and advanced training courses. The FLETC College Intern Program stresses flexibility and creativity by encouraging interns to experience everything FLETC has to offer to further their education and career goals, while making professional contacts."

This internship can be completed during the fall, spring or summer. The fall and spring sessions would be completed in lieu of taking a full courseload at the College of Charleston.

For more information visit the FLETC website.

Upcoming Deadlines for the FLETC Internship :

For Summer 2009 Internship: Applications Due by Friday, February 6, 2009
For Fall 2009 Internship: Applications Accepted from April 20-May 8, 2009

Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.)

The F.B.I. offers a range of unpaid internship opportunities for students. Most internships are not local and thus could not be completed while residing in Charleston. For more information about the application process and application deadlines, consult the F.B.I.'s Internship web page.

Federal Public Defender's Office

Interns assist attorneys and staff in the representation of indigent criminal defendants in the Federal Court for the District of South Carolina.

Juvenile Public Defender’s Office

This internship exposes students to the workings of both the criminal justice and family court systems in Charleston County. Interns will have the opportunity to attend different types of Family Court trials including daily court hearings, dispositions, plea arbitration hearings and drug court hearings. Interns may also tour the Charleston County Detention Center and will be given the opportunity to meet judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and others in the legal profession. In addition, interns will assist with the everyday management of the office including filing, setting appointments for attorneys and their clients, signing and petitioning Discovery Motions, sorting cases, conducting face-to-face and phone screenings for indigent clients and transferring case materials between the Clerk of Court Office, the Solicitor’s Office and the Public Defenders Office.

Medical University of South Carolina Forensic Pathology Office

Interns assist with autopsies and assist staff in various activities. In most cases, interns can get as much hands on experience as they desire.

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (at the Medical University of South Carolina)

Research and Clinical Volunteer: Services for Survivors of Homicide

Internship responsibilities will include assisting with data entry on SPSS database, outreach to survivors (via phone and mail), assisting with transporting families to victim-related appointments, literature searches, and there may be possibilities to become involved in other research projects. Interns will also have the opportunity to observe support group meetings and individual meetings with survivors. A car is required as half of the time will be spent at the National Crime Victims Center at MUSC and the other half at the Charleston County Sheriff’s Victim Service Office.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service offers a range of unpaid internships throughout the year. Internships are not offered in Charleston, but this may be ideal for students who have family members in the Washington, D.C. area (other sites around the country are available).

Interns must have:

A 3.0 Grade Point Average
No previous felony drug convictions
Not used marijuana or anabolic steroids within the last three years
Not illegally used drugs other than marijuana or anabolic steroids in the last ten years.

For more information about the different internship options and the application process for the NCIS, download the Student Internship Program manual (PDF file)

Public Defender

This internship provides students with a background of both the criminal justice and judicial systems here in Charleston County . Interns attend trials, preliminary hearings, guilty pleas and roll calls in order to get a feel for various court procedures. In addition, students tour the Charleston County Detention Center and participate in office and jail screenings of indigent clients. They will have the opportunity to meet judges, prosecutors, attorneys and many others in the legal field.

Solicitor's Office

Interns will be responsible for assisting all office departments in carrying out the day to day affairs of the Solicitor's Office. This will include:

Working with individual attorneys on the preparation of cases for trial and plea: This may include speaking with witnesses, reviewing files, providing discovery to defense counsel and visiting police agencies or crime scenes for purposes of trial. This may also include attending court to assist attorneys with technology and communication with the office.
Working with the Victims' Rights department: Interns will work directly with victim advocates in notifying and communicating with the victims of crime. This may include phone calls, office interviews, follow up on victim requests and data entry.
Working with Pre-Trial Intervention: This will include assisting the pre-trial intervention supervisor with the intake and processing of defendant in the pre-trial intervention program.
Working with Investigators: This will include completing tasks as assigned by personnel in the Investigations Department as they work towards trial in individual cases.
Working with Pending: This will include preparation of cases for presentation to the grand jury and filing plea paperwork with the clerk's office.

South Carolina Legal Services

"South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) provides free legal services in a wide variety of civil (non-criminal) legal matters to eligible low income residents of South Carolina. SCLS is a non-profit corporation, funded by grants from the federally funded Legal Services Corporation, the South Carolina Bar Foundation, the South Carolina Bar, local United Ways, state court filing fees, and other federal, state and local funding."

Interns assist attorneys and work directly with clients involving a number of civil cases including domestic violence.

Internships should ideally be completed during the fall and spring semesters. However, summer internships can be completed under extenuating circumstances. For more information about the Crime, Law and Society minor and/or the above internships, contact:

Dr. Heath Hoffmann
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
88 Wentworth, Room 104
843-953-8182
hoffmannh@cofc.edu

Site last revised 6/3/2009
http://www.cofc.edu/CriminalJustice/