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October 26, 2009 —
For many students, the closest they ever get to juvenile delinquency corrections is an episode of “Law and Order.” But some at SVSU live the nonfiction, and the work is up-close and personal.
Upperclassmen who have an interest in juvenile criminal justice can take “CJ 496: Field Work,” with Dr. Burk Foster. Each semester, about 24 students are placed with family courts, police stations and nonprofit organizations such as Child and Family Services or the Boys & Girls Club. They can also work with federal organizations, including the Secret Service.
Students are placed in one of two assignments: secure detention lockup and intake.
Secure detention lockup is where most youths are held before their hearings, depending on the severity of the case.
But the majority of students go into intake, which means working with Diversion. Diversion is a way of processing a juvenile informally — “a method of penalizing the teen while keeping him or her out of the system,” according to senior Jenna Timko, an intern at the 10th District Family Court this fall.
Students who work in Diversion have a list of juveniles they monitor. These interns talk periodically with them as the teens go through an intensive program that includes lifeskill classes, essays, letters of apology, urine tests and community service. The interns also work with probation officers, attend court hearings and interact with the juvenile and their families.
“The most enlightening thing,” Foster said, “is to see the juveniles in the family context.” Many juvenile issues are the result of a bad home life, he added, and interns get a chance to witness it firsthand.
As a psychology major, Timko wasn’t sure about being placed with the juvenile court, but she said she’s very happy with it now.
“Many of the youth that we come into contact with have psychological issues, but are unlikely to seek out psychological services,” she said. “I’m learning so much by looking at this population that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.”
To take the class, a student must meet with the professors and administration, one-and-one and in groups, and discuss his or her interests and qualifications. An applicant is then matched up with a particular placement and sent to the agency for an interview.
Once the contracts are signed, the internship starts quickly.
By the time the actual class begins, interns have already begun logging hours with their organizations. A total of 120 hours must be logged by the end of the semester, and for every 40 hours worked, a report must be submitted to the professor. The reports count for half of the six-credit class’s grade; the remainder is the agency’s evaluation.
Summer internships are available, and some students can take the class by interning in their hometown.
Timko encourages students to take the class if they are thinking about entering related fields.
“Don’t be afraid to explore different areas of work,” she said. “You would be surprised how many positions are related to your area of study; you may discover a field that you would never have considered otherwise, but that suits you better.”