Criminal Justice Internships

Crimial Justice Internships

Criminal Justice internships provide students with an opportunity to explore a particular area of interest within the criminal justice field, ranging from direct service in law enforcement, courts, corrections and juvenile justice, to research, evaluation and administration. The internship synthesizes classroom theory with pragmatic considerations of fieldwork through peer discussion and a series of assignments designed to develop observation, evaluation and communication skills. The excitement of criminal justice in an action setting better prepares students to choose among diversified careers in the criminal justice field.

Regularly available internships are located within Rensselaer, and neighboring Albany, Saratoga and Schenectady counties. Occasionally, openings exist in other locations, and placements may be created in response to specific student requests.

Internship Requirements

Sociology and Criminal Justice students are required to complete a minimum 150-hour internship during the junior or senior year. In addition to field hours, students enroll in CRJ/SOC 427, a weekly class during which students discuss agency organization and decision-making, policies and procedures, hiring and training protocols, and client characteristics. Furthermore, students participate in two workshops, one focusing on sexual harassment awareness and the other engaging students in peer review of resumes.

An increasing number of students are completing more intensive field placements and/or multiple internships in a wide variety of public and private agencies in the Capital District and across the Northeast.

Requirements for any internship: Junior or Senior standing, minimum GPA of 2.5, prior consultation with Dr. McLeod.

Recent Internship Sites

  • Albany County Probation Department
  • Albany Dispute Mediation
  • Albany Police Department
  • Berkshire Farms
  • Cohoes Police Department
  • Colonie Justice Court
  • Colonie Police Department
  • Equinox Domestic Violence Services
  • Law, Order and Justice Center
  • Mohawk-Hudson Recovery Center
  • NYS Defenders Association
  • NYS Department of Correctional Services
  • NYS Department of Environmental Conservation
  • NYS Division of Parole
  • NYS Division of Probation and Correctional Alternatives
  • NYS Park Police
  • NYS Police Crime Lab
  • Parsons Child and Family Center
  • Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office
  • Rensselaer County Probation Department
  • Rensselaer County Sexual Assault Care Center
  • St. Anne's School for Girls
  • Schenectady County Family Court
  • Schenectady County YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter
  • Troy Police Department
  • Unity House
  • US Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco &
  • Firearms
  • VanderHeyden Hall
  • Washington County Probation

Recent Criminal Justice Student Placements

Fall 2006 Interns

  • Angelica Lanzot, Vanderheyden Hall
  • Heather Lawton, Bethlehem Youth Court
  • Caitlin Ostrowski, Forensic ID Unit, NYS Police
  • Rachel Seguin, NYSCADV
  • Jamie Smith, Victim Unit, Rensselaer Co. DA’s Office
  • Mary-Ellen Stockwell, Washington Co. Alternative Sentencing Program
  • Kim Worobey, NYS Office of Homeland Security

Spring 2007 Interns

  • Katrina Charland, Bethlehem Youth Court
  • Heather Lawton, Rensselaer Co. Probation
  • Rachel Seguin, NYS Division of Parole
  • Jamie Smith, Colonie Police Department
  • Mary-Ellen Stockwell, US Attorneys Office, D.C. (see associated article)
  • Eric Wood, Confidential Investigations

Summer 2007 Interns

  • Jessica Mariani, NYS Division of Parole
  • Eric Wood, Confidential Investigations (see associated article)

Fall 2007 Interns

  • Tania Capaz, Suffolk Co. Probation
  • Kate Nelson, Bennington Rutland Opportunity Council
  • Danielle Newell, Cohoes Police Department
  • Jovenna Pelton, Albany Co. Family Court
  • Alissa Reidy, Unity House
  • Kim Worobey, Victim Unit, Rensselaer Co. DA’s Office

Spring 2008 Intern

  • Tasha Coolidge, Watervliet Police Department