Internships

About Internships

All Crime, Law, and Society minors are required to complete an internship.  Internships should be arranged with the program director the semester before the internship will be completed. 

The following is a list of potential internships where CRLS minors often intern. Do some research on the places that interest you most, making sure to read about their philosophy, what sort of work they do, their expectations, and where they're located.  It may be possible for you to arrange other internships as well. 

Internship Sites for Crime, Law and Society Minor

Alston Wilkes Society

This re-entry program offers a halfway house and provides rehabilitative and social services for offenders.  The goal is to help residents make a smooth transition back to the community.  Many of the programs are in the evenings.

Alternatives Life Improvement Center

Alternatives offers a variety of groups with trained facilitators for those involved with the court system such as through PTI or alcohol and drug violations.  Interns must be a senior, psychology or sociology major, and have not gone through PTI or ADP.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

The ACLU of South Carolina offers students the opportunity to research the impact on civil liberties of specific existing legislation and government practices and to draft reports on issues that affect the civil liberties of South Carolina citizens. The topics will vary according to the organization’s needs. Interns should have strong research skills and the ability to work well independently, strong analytic and writing skills, an interest in civil liberties issues and experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel).

Charleston Center

Charleston Center provides a variety of outpatient and residential treatment programs for chemically dependent adults and adolescents.  Several of their programs are relevant to crime, law and society. 

Charleston County Sheriff’s Office

Interns rotate through various sections of the sheriff’s department including patrol, community service, detectives, canine, marine patrol, courts, special training and recertification.  Internship can be flexible to your interests and include policing in both urban and rural areas.

City of Charleston Police Department

Interns rotate through all departments (Booking, 911, traffic detectives, etc.) and do “ride-alongs” with police officers to learn about the different aspects of police work.

Community & Public Safety Psychiatry Division (CPSPD), MUSC

This is a research assistant internship in forensic psychology.  There are several ongoing studies, primarily, but not exclusively, studying sex offenders.

Community Juvenile Arbitration Program, Solicitor's Office

Students assist the director and staff with case management of juveniles involved in the arbitration program. Students receive arbitrator training and may have their own cases.  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, tour juvenile and adult correctional facilities, and  observe court trials and assist during the trial process.

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

The mission of the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center 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.   Interns may assist the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Facilitator with duties involving collaborations of community partners including weekly community staffing meetings or assist and observe in the Clinical Services division.

Department of Juvenile Justice: Probation and Parole or Victim Services

Interns provide 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.  There is also an office in Moncks Corner.

Department of Public Safety, College of Charleston

The Department of Public Safety offers opportunities to interns, providing chances to work in areas such as patrol, professional standards, courts, security technology and dispatch.  You will rotate through sections of the department. This internship is ideal for students interested learning about the intricacies and challenges of policing in a campus environment.

Department of Social Services

There may be internships available to assist social workers in Child Protective Services.

Family Violence Unit, City of Charleston Police Department

This is a victim advocate internship serving families in crisis. The unit provides case management and includes a child advocate, an elder advocate, a Spanish language advocate and a mental health clinician. 

Fresh Start Visions

Fresh Start Visions provides re-entry services and housing to men released from incarceration as well as character development classes inside several correctional institutions.  Interns could attend and assist with classes in McDougall Correctional Institute upon approval of a SCDC application and/or  be involved with the re-entry housing programs. They can assist with tracking data and group classes for those finishing their sentences and those who are in the re-entry program.

Guardian ad Litem 

Internships may be available. Guardians represent the best interests of children in Family Court. Training to become a guardian must be completed before the students begins the internship.

Homeless Justice Project

The Homeless Justice Project is located at Crisis Ministries, the shelter for the homeless, and provides legal services for homeless persons.  Students assist the attorney and meet with clients.

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. Courses in biology are very helpful here. 

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

NCVC is an outpatient mental health clinic for children and adults who experienced a traumatic event such as sexual assault, domestic violence, or physical assault.  Interns assist with working with victims of crime.  Respnsibilities may include transporting families for victim-related appointments, data entry in SPSS,  and observing support groups for family members of homicide victims and local child abuse community staffings.  There is also the possibility of becoming involved with research projects.  This internship requires a 3.0 GPA and a psychology major.

North Charleston Police Department

Interns rotate through all departments and do “ride-alongs” with police officers to learn about all aspects of police work.

People Against Rape

Intern will be responsible for assisting PAR staff in providing supportive services to survivors of sexual assault. This may include assisting Volunteer Coordinator, Education Coordinator, and Outreach Coordinator with their duties.

Pro-Bono Legal Services 

This is a program of the Charleston County Bar Association in which students will learn to assist in providing legal services for civil cases.  Responsibilities in this office include screening clients, performing legal research,  answering client calls and assisting clients in filling out legal forms.

Public Defender

This internship provides students with a background of both the criminal justice and judicial systems 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.  It also may be possible to work with those involved with juveniles.

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, working with the Victims' Rights department, working with Pre-Trial Intervention, working with Investigators, and working with Pending cases.

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.

U.S. Courts Federal Probation and Pretrial Academy, FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center)

Student Interns work closely with United States Probation Officers and Academy staff and have the unique opportunity to observe live training scenarios and classes in addition to assisting instructors with lesson plan updates, student records, and training delivery enhancement. 

U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services

Students willl learn the process from start to finish, from arraignment to exit from incarceration and supervision by the office post release, will be exposed to the different judicial hearings in the process, and will assist with various tasks for the office.

U.S. Public Defender

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

Victim Services, Charleston County Sheriff

Intern will assist victim advocates and attend bond hearings, post arrest hearings, and other court hearings, assist with case management and assist in providing support services to victims.

Victim/Witness Assistance Program, Solicitor's Office

The intern will assist victim-witness advocates and attend hearings, meet with victims and witnesses, and assist in other daily responsibilities.

Information about federal  government internships can be found at:  https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/students/ 

For more information about the Crime, Law and Society minor and/or to arrange for the above internships, contact:

Dr. David Morris
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
88 Wentworth Street, Room 204
843-953-4485
morrisds@cofc.edu