Position:

The Internship Program operates within the three, divisional, courthouses located in Fort Wayne, South Bend or Hammond, Indiana. This is a volunteer internship program under the direction of local and national policies and procedures, as well as management. Prospective student internships are not entitled to any benefits with the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

Purpose:

The Internship Program serves to broaden the Probation Office's commitment to the community by selecting college and university students to serve in non-compensated student intern positions within our organization. Serving as student interns under the direction of a Probation Officer allows the individual the opportunity to enhance and broaden their education with practical experience in the field of criminal justice.

Process:

An announcement will be placed on our internet page prior to an opening becoming available. Applications are accepted year-round.

Students will be interviewed and selected at least four (4) to six (6) weeks prior to the time their semesters or quarters begin.

The internship program requires no less than 150 hours to complete.

The probation office would prefer students that have completed at least two courses related to humanity based classes, e.g., criminal justice, sociology, social work, psychology. However, students who do not meet this criteria may be considered. Selection of interns will be conducted by members of the probation office, which may include: Division Internship Coordinator and/or Division Supervising U.S. Probation Officer, a probation officer, Deputy Chief U.S. Probation Officer. Once selected, the recommendation will be submitted to the Chief U.S. Probation Officer for their review and acceptance.

Responsibilities of the Intern:

Those individuals selected for this internship program become representatives of the United States Probation Office of the Northern District of Indiana. It is essential that the intern be committed to the program, and conduct himself or herself in a professional manner. The following are requirements of interns with the Probation Office:

• Attendance is mandatory. At the onset of the internship, a schedule will be developed that best meets the intern's school, work and family obligations. However, the time periods worked by the intern must coincide with the regular office hours of the probation department (8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Friday). The intern must keep in contact with the probation office regarding any deviations in his or her work hours.
• Confidentiality is an important aspect of probation work, and must be taken seriously. Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information may result in civil penalties under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Each intern will be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement.
• Interns must comply with the Code of Conduct adopted by the Judicial Conference. A copy will be provided to the intern at the start of their internship.
• Interns will have access to a computer, with Internet access, at the probation office. A copy of the Court's Internet policy will be provided to the intern, and he or she will be required to follow this policy. Use of the computer or Internet for anything outside the realm of established internship duties is prohibited.
• Each intern will be required to comply with the district's dress code policy.
• All written communications prepared by student interns that are to be forwarded to the courts, law enforcement agencies, community agencies, etc., must first be given to a Probation Officer for final review and approval. Copies of these documents will be maintained in the Probation Office's intern file.
• All research papers or other academic work completed by the student intern, which identify the Probation Office will be shared with the Probation Office, and maintained in the intern's file.
• A written chronological history of all contacts with an individual under supervision must be maintained. In addition, a daily log must be kept of field contacts outside of the Probation Office.
• Student Interns will be encouraged to engage all staff in the discussion of topics related to the criminal justice system.
• Student interns are urged to attend all general staff meetings as well as unit meetings on days when they are performing internship activities.
• Student Interns experiencing any problem in the student intern program should address the issues with the Internship Coordinator.
• All Student Interns must prepare a typewritten evaluation of their internship before the placement is terminated. The evaluation must be submitted to the Internship Coordinator no later than one week after the reporting of grades by the faculty advisor.
• Student interns will serve without financial compensation from the Probation office, except for pre-approved reimbursements for certain expenses; i.e. use of personal automobiles.

Responsibilities of the College or University:

The participating school should recommend only mature, self-motivated, applicants that are in good standing and are emotionally prepared to work for the Federal Court System. They should ensure that the individual recommended is on a humanity based, or preferably a Criminal Justice, career path and is serious about a career in these areas. Once a student is selected for the internship program, a Memorandum of Understanding Between College/University and the United States District Court must be signed. The faculty members involved will need to maintain an on-going relationship with the Division Internship Coordinator at the Probation Office.

The faculty member may choose to make an on-site visit to see the intern, and complete an evaluation. This evaluation should occur towards the latter part of the student's internship, and should be coordinated with the Division Internship Coordinator.