Rising Senior, Tia Scotto (Criminal Justice major) completed an internship during the Summer 2022 semester with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Read on to learn about her experience!
What was your internship? My internship during the Summer of 2022 was with the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Unit.
Why were you initially interested in this internship? I was interested in this internship because I always overlooked the correctional aspects of the criminal justice system, forgetting how much “behind the scenes” work goes into holding convicted felons accountable for their actions.
How did you find your internship? I found my internship by looking at the Department of Corrections website and reaching out to the internship coordinator via email.
What did you do as part of your internship? As part of my internship, I worked very closely with a probation/parole officer who supervised a sex offender-specific caseload. Some of the duties I performed were writing travel permits, uploading offender documentation, attending trauma training, and attending court hearings at the Kent County Courthouse. I was also given the opportunity to attend transitional services meetings in every facility, go on offender compliance checks, and attend meetings with victim’s services.
Has this internship helped you work towards your future career goals? If so, how? Yes, this internship has definitely helped me work towards my future career goals because I never thought I was going to enjoy working in corrections as much as I did. I can say confidently that this internship has made me want to work in the correctional field and also in victim’s advocacy.
What was your biggest lesson/takeaway from the internship? My biggest takeaway from this internship was how much “blood, sweat, and tears” go into being a probation/parole officer and a correctional employee overall. When most people think of the word “corrections”, correctional officers come to mind. However, there are so many different aspects that go into an offender serving their time and leaving the correctional facility. If it weren’t for the probation and parole officers, office assistants, victim’s services, re-entry services, etc., the facility wouldn’t be able to run.
What advice would you give to someone interested in a similar internship opportunity? One piece of advice I would give someone would be to apply to each and every opportunity you find! I was so anxious about not securing an internship for the summer; however, I sent some emails, and within a few days I secured the internship with the DOC. They made the process of beginning the internship easy and made me feel very welcome in the unit.
Want to share your experiences during an internship? Email Kevin (kdeeb@rwu.edu) in the CCPD to learn more about sharing with us!
