Undergraduate Internship Handbook

Undergraduate Criminal Justice Student Internship Handbook

Internship Coordinator: Dr. Cory Watkins Phone: 407-823-2603 Email: cory.watkins@ucf.edu Administrative Assistant: TBA

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DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE College of Community Innovation and Education University of Central Florida Phone: 407-823-2603 Web: https://ccie.ucf.edu/criminaljustice/

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PURPOSE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERNSHIP………………….4 LEARNING OUTCOMES……………………………………………...5 QUALIFICATIONS FOR CJ INTERNSHIP……………….………..…6 LOCATING A CJ INTERNSHIP……………………………………….7 CRITERIA FOR PERMISSION NUMBERS…………………………..8 ENROLLING INTO THE CJ CLASS………………………………..…9 SYLLABUS (CJJ 4941) ………………………………………...10 BEFORE THE CJ INTERNSHIP……………………………………...22 LEANRING PLAN………………………………..……………..23 STUDENT JOB DESCRIPTION………………………………..27 DURING THE CJ INTERNSHIP………………………………....…...28 AFTER THE CJ INTERNSHIP………………………………..……...29 UCF STUDENT REVIEWS……………………………………..29 AGENCY EVALUATION FORM………………………………30

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Purpose of Criminal Justice Internship During the time as a criminal justice student at the University of Central Florida, an internship allows the undergraduates to explore, learn, and absorb real-life experiences in the field. While being enrolled in CCJ 4941 simultaneously to the internship, the following objectives outline the goals for a successful semester.

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Obtaining realistic expectations, career direction/goals, and independence/initiative Developing oral communication skills, written communication skills, and oral presentation skills Develop interpersonal skills, teamwork, and integrity Understanding the importance of flexibility/adaptability and listening skills accuracy Developing resource management (time, materials, space) and organizational/planning skills Appreciating understanding/adhering to organizational Systems Acquiring and integrating information, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills Learning computer/technical skills Linking student’s previous course objectives and learning outcomes from criminal justice core courses with working environments in professional settings.

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Learning Outcomes • Understanding and integrating SCANS competencies into their work experience.

• Identifying and describing the basic theories of crime and criminal justice.

• Understanding how federal, state and/or local criminal justice works and describing how a case develops within the structure of the agency in which the student is placed.

• Understanding and applying research tools.

• Communicating a basic knowledge of the fundamental principles of criminal law and procedure and how the law effects criminal justice operations in the following areas: o Law enforcement and/or o Courts (juvenile and adult) and/or o Corrections • Identifying and describing the various methods of measuring, counting crime and its distribution.

• Identifying criminal justice problems and appropriate solutions.

• Applying criminal justice theories and principles to crime related problems.

• Finding and critically analyzing information about crime and criminal justice derived from case studies, texts, reports, and data sources.

• Verbally communicating and writing solutions to various criminal justice problems in a clear and concise manner.

• Making written and/or oral presentations of internship experiences or research findings.

• Effectively using information technology to gather and disseminate information.

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Qualifications for CJ Internship Being academically qualified is one of the first steps in the Internship Process. This is very important since it will affect your ability to graduate. The academic qualifications are listed below: • You must be a senior in your last 30 hours of study at the time you begin your internship.

• You must have a minimum of 2.5 overall G.P.A. • General Education Program (GEP) requirements must be met to be on track to graduate.

• C.J. core classes must be completed by the time your internship begins, with a grade C or better in each.

The core classes are as follows: o CJE 3001Carees in Criminal Justice o CCJ 3014 Crime in America o CCJ 3024 Criminal Justice Systems o CJE 4014 Police and Society o CJL 3510 Prosecution and Adjudication o CJC 3010 Corrections and Penology o CCJ 4678 Race, Ethnicity, Equity, and (In)justice o CCJ 4701 Research Methods in Criminal Justice (CCJ 4701 Research Methods and CCJ 4746 Data Analysis cannot be taken together)

o CCJ 4746 Data Analysis for Criminal Justice (PR: CCJ 4701) o CCJ 4054 Capstone: Criminal Justice Ethics

(Students must complete all other CORE classes before taking this course)

Note that the internship class is offered during spring, fall, and summer semesters, as long as all qualifications are being met.

Any questions regarding these academic qualifications can be addressed to Dr. Cory Watkins. To verify your eligibility to complete an internship, please call the Criminal Justice front office at 407-823-2603.

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Locating a CJ Internship After confirming their academic eligibility, students are responsible on their own to find a placement, although help will be provided. The steps below will help secure a good fit.

• Complete the FERPA release form located at: https://ccie.ucf.edu/wpcontent/uploads/sites/12/2018/10/ferpa_request_for_letter_of_recomme ndation.pdf • After signing this form, scan it and send it back to the internship coordinator cory.watkins@ucf.edu • The online internship list is a very helpful resource in locating placements that are the most beneficial to you. It is found at: https://ccie.ucf.edu/criminaljustice/internships/sites/.

Additionally, these sites have used interns from our department in the past and have expressed an interest in being a placement site for future interns again.

• Local, County, State, or Federal Internships are some of the contacts on this website. Internship location sites that were found outside of UCF’s website must be approved separately.

• When choosing possible placements, keep in mind your interests, time constraints, location, and other relevant needs. You can choose several alternatives that you might find appealing.

• Your interests will be matched with the needs of the community. It is highly suggested (but not required) that you make an appointment with the internship coordinator to discuss all possible options.

• Contact the agency representatives, by mail, phone, or in person.

Inquire as to the internship application procedure. Follow through with the application process.

• Upon confirmation of an internship placement, make an appointment with the internship coordinator. Bring with you to this meeting the contact person’s name, contact information (email, phone), the scope of work, and # of hours (3, 6, 9).

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Criteria for Permission Numbers Permission numbers are given to the student once they have met the following criteria: • Completion of all criminal justice core classes with a grade of “C” or better • Maintaining a minimum G.P.A. of 2.5 • Being in the last 30 credit hours of study • Contacted potential intern site, identified contact person, retrieved contact information (phone and email) and have a scope of work o 3-hour internships = 10-15 hrs./per week and 150-225 total hours over 15 weeks. o 6-hour internships = 20-25 hrs./per week and 300-375 total hours over 15 weeks. o 9-hour internships = 30-35 hrs./per week and 450 minimum hours over 15 weeks.

FYI: If you have a registration hold, you will not be able to enroll in courses.

Permission numbers do not override holds. Always verify your schedule to make sure you are correctly enrolled for the semester. If you were given a Permission number, it has an expiration; use it within 24 hours.

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Enrolling into the CJ Internship class (CCJ4941) Once students have successfully found an internship placement, they are going to register for the class that will be held simultaneously with the internship. Class number and permission number will be given to the student in order to register. (Please note, total credit hours must not exceed term limits).

Registration Steps: 1. Log onto myUCF 2. Go to Student Self Service, then click “Enroll” under the Academic Information tab 3. Enter the received Key Code/class number in box, click enter 4. Another box will appear, enter the received permission number, click enter 5. Continue with registration process how you would normally.

The syllabus for the CJ Internship class, including assignments, policies, and a summary of the course, can be found below.

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Before the Criminal Justice Internship Once everything is ready to go, students cannot forget to fill out the Learning Plan. This document should be completed by the student with the internship site supervisor. It will include learning and service objectives, important guidelines, limitations, as well as possible risks, and an agreement on how many hours per week the student will report to the site. Additionally, the future interns will complete the Student Job Description form together with their site supervisor. This form is required to be sent to the Internship Coordinator by the end of the second week of the internship.

The Learning Plan and Student Job Description form will be attached below.

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During the Criminal Justice Internship Students will be asked to log their hours while working in their placement. There is no form to fill out, but it should include the dates of the week, how many hours were worked, as well as the supervisor’s signature. These will be submitted halfway through the semester, as well as at the end.

In addition to the time logs, students will be asked to write two paragraphs each week describing their weekly activities, and reflecting on thoughts, feelings, and new experiences.

Towards the end, students will turn in a paper which outlines and critically analyzes their internship experience. This paper will provide a very comprehensive assessment of the experiential learning opportunity grounded in the empirical literature on service-learning and internships.

The required book demonstrates questions and ideas for students to write about. Additionally, students could choose to focus on a summary of activities, high or low points during their experience, particular lessons they have learned, important aspects of training or assignments, etc.

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After the Criminal Justice Internship Once students are coming to the end of their internship, it is important to complete the last bit of paperwork. Including in that, is the Site Supervisor Evaluation Form, which is attached on the next page.

Student Reviews of the Internship Experience: “It was a cool experience. Everything almost felt second nature to me, the surveillance, writing statements, and filling out case logs. I have never done this type of work before, but it was so easy for me to pick up. The trainers are also really happy with my progress and are surprised at how well I have been performing for someone with no LP experience.”

-UCF Criminal Justice Student at TCJ – Loss Prevention Detective “Every day I work with different types of people in the facility. This week I will be working with probation officers, learning about inmates that got released with ankle bracelets. My job this week is to track the inmates with the ankle bracelet and make sure they are not walking towards an area that they are not supposed to. I am very grateful for this opportunity I have with the correction facility because it is a hands-on experience and I have learned so much and continue to each day.”

-UCF Criminal Justice Student at Seminole County Correction Facility “Going to a scene for the first time can be slightly nerve-racking since one does not know what to expect. When arriving at the scene, we began by taking photos and subsequently measuring and scaling the evidence. This experience taught me proper crime scene etiquette and how to manage evidence at a crime scene.”

-UCF Criminal Justice Student at Sebastian Police Department – Crime Scene Evidence Technician “I've known for a while that I want to pursue a law degree, but I have been stressing out over which type of law. I thought that I had to have it all figured out before I even applied. My supervisor provided so much insight and advised me that she has multiple interns that have recently graduated with a law degree, and still have no idea what path they are going down. It was a reassuring, and helpful meeting. I am so grateful for the connection to the legal field my internship has provided me thus far.”

-UCF Criminal Justice Student at District Court

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