Internship Information For Agencies

The Department of Criminal Justice strives to insure our students have the skills needed succeed in their chosen field. Our goals is to develop and maintain successful partnerships with criminal justice agencies to foster student success. Should you have any questions about the internship program or wish to establish an internship program at your agency, please contact the department via email (legalstu@olemiss.edu) or by phone (662)‐915‐7902, for more information.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE INTERNSHIP AGENCY/ORGANIZATION

1. Allow the student to begin the internship during the first week of classes of the
   semester enrolled in CJ 490 or as close to the first week of the semester as
   possible.
2. Develop a formal or informal training program to familiarize the student with the
   function and operation of the agency. Allow the student sufficient exposure to
   other aspects or departments within the agency.
3. Select and assign a qualified staff member as the student’s field supervisor to
   provide supervision for the student during the internship. The staff member should
   have at least 5 years of experience in the profession. The student is to provide the
   name of this person and contact information to the Criminal Justice Internship
   Professor. Students may not be supervised by a relative.
4. Determine, through mutual agreement, the student’s hours of work so as to meet
   the minimum of 135 hours at the internship agency to meet the requirements for
   three (3) credit hours of CJ 490, and to meet the minimum of 270 hours at the
   internship agency to meet the requirements for six (6) of CJ 490.
5. Allow the student to become sufficiently involved in the agency so as to enhance
   his/her learning experience. Allow the student to participate in meetings and to
   assume to the extent possible, responsibilities of the type carried out by regular
   employees.
6. If an internship is unpaid, this should be made explicitly clear to the student, and
   the internship should adhere to Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines.
7. Orient the student as to the agency’s expectations of appropriate dress, policies
   pertaining to the confidentiality of records, and any other types of significant
   behavior which are appropriate in the respective agency.
8. Contact the Criminal Justice Internship Professor when it is felt that problems are
   disrupting the student’s work performance.
9. Complete a mid‐term evaluation of the student’s performance after the student
   has completed half of their internship hours (3 academic hours: 68 hours, 6
   academic hours: 135 hours). After completing the midterm evaluation form the
   agency supervisor should verbally review with the student, and, we recommend,
   both parties sign before submission. Submit as hard copy, as fax, or electronically
   via e‐mail as pdf file after scanning signatures.
10. Complete a final evaluation of the student intern’s performance. The agency field
    supervisor is to review the contents of the performance evaluation with the
    student and discuss areas in need of improvement and suggest steps to meet these
    standards.
11. The students receive a portion of their final grade based upon the mid‐term and
    final evaluations you provide. If the supervisor is uncomfortable with the
    department’s evaluation forms or refer to use your internal agency forms, please
    contact the Internship Professor as soon as possible.