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 available only at sites that do not offer  internships during the academic year such as SLED, the FBI, and FLETC (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center). See their web site for information. The following is a list of potential internship sites for Fall and Spring semester internships. It may be possible for others to be arranged as well.  

Internship Sites for Crime, Law and Society Minor

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 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 assist with intake assessments and group therapy sessions, learn about treatment plans, and assist with office management tasks. This internship is a good opportunity for students interested in counseling. 

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

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.

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

Coastal Pre-Release Center provides services to reintegrate non-violent offenders back into the community as they near the end of their sentence. Interns will work with community program supervisors and caseworkers as they assess new inmates for referrals, education, and job assignments, go on job site visits, and generally assist with the programming to prepare men for release.  Students also assist with administrative duties necessary for the daily functioning of the facility, work with correctional officers and with prisoners.

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 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. There are two different internship experiences.  Multidisciplinary Team Internship: Interns assist the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Facilitator with duties involving collaborations of community partners including weekly community staffing meetings. Child Advocate Internship: Serve as a liaison between the client and the DNLCC staff and be a professional representative of the DNLCC to the clients served.

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 Social Services

Students work in the Child Protective Services Division, working on a team with social workers.

Elder Supportline

Elder Supportline provides 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 

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)

There are two different internships available and they require a 3.0 gpa.

Outpatient Clinic

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 will assist with a service oriented project working with victims of crime.  Responsibilities will include contacting and assisting victims of crime. There are also opportunities to observe support groups for family members of homicide victims and local child abuse community staffings.

Family Members of Homicide Victims

Interns will assist with a service oriented program entitled "Specialized Services for Survivors of Homicide."  Responsibilities will include outreach to survivors (via phone and mail), assisting with transporting survivors to victim-related appointments, organizing community events, and possibility to become involved in other homicide related projects. Opportunities to observe support group meetings for family members of homicide victims, attend bond hearings, shadow law enforcement victim advocates, and attend murder trials.  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.

North Charleston Police Department

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

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. 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.

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

Professor Ann Stein
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
19 St. Phillip Street, Room 104
843-953-6547
steina@cofc.edu