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Student Internship Program

The U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina is excited to offer an Internship Program for students interested in the criminal justice arena.  The mission of Internship Program is to partner with area colleges and universities to provide an opportunity for students to apply their academic learnings in a work environment related to their field of study.  The goal is to provide students with a range of experiences within the Federal Court System.  Students will serve in a non-compensated position within the organization, and will be introduced to the diverse roles of a United States Probation Officer with regard to Pretrial and Presentence Investigations (Court Services Unit), as well as the supervision of offenders and defendants (Supervision Services Unit). 

 

Office Background

The U.S. Probation Office and Pretrial Services System falls under the umbrella of the Judicial Branch and is part of a network of 94 federal judicial districts nationwide, include the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam.  The mission of the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of North Carolina is to serve the court and community by providing quality investigative and supervision services to assist in the protection of the public and the administration of justice.   The Eastern District of North Carolina is comprised of 44 counties bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the states of Virginia and South Carolina.  The office headquarters is located in Raleigh, with field offices located in Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Greenville, Jacksonville, New Bern and Wilmington.

 

About the Internship Program

The Internship Program provides students with the opportunity to learn how to apply the theories of case management through actual practice with the offenders under the supervision of assigned probation officers.  In addition to reinforcing the student’s academic concepts through practical work experience, this opportunity will provide students with the ability to enhance transferable skills needed for any professional work setting and to assist the student in making career choices.

Students must have at least a 2.9 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and must be able to work approximately 16 hours per week.  Preference will be given to applicants who are graduate students or currently enrolled as juniors or seniors in an accredited undergraduate program with educational backgrounds in the following:  social work, counseling, criminal justice, pre-law, psychology, sociology, or other related field.

Interns are paired with officers in both the Court Services Unit and the Supervision Services Unit and will generally participate in the following duties/activities:

  • Attend court proceedings and assist probation officers, if necessary

  • Assist in the investigation and preparation of the Pretrial and Presentence Reports, as well as Pretrial Diversion Reports

  • Assist with the retrieval and completion of collateral investigations

  • Observe, learn, and utilize different case management techniques

  • Attend in house meetings and training seminars when appropriate

  • Prepare summaries, petitions, memoranda, and other correspondence

  • Proofread and edit documents

  • Perform other duties as assigned

 

Expectations of the College/University

No internship will be successful without coordination among the agency, student and school. We encourage the student’s advisor to meet with the coordinating probation officer in person at least once during the placement. This forum will be an opportunity to discuss the student’s progress. It should also be used as an opportunity for the school’s representative to inform the probation officer of any problems or changes in the student’s requirements.

 

Application Procedures and Acceptance

All interested students should apply online by visiting the agency’s employment page or by clicking HERE.   Internship opportunities will be posted three (3) times per year recruiting for the Fall, Spring and Summer vacancies.   A complete application package should include the online application, resume, an unofficial copy of college/university transcript, a professional letter of recommendation from a college professor or employer, and an essay.  Applications must be received by the closing deadline indicated in the vacancy announcement.  The most qualified applicants will receive a personal interview with our staff.  If selected, the student will be required to undergo a background investigation, and the student will be notified of his/her acceptance.  All employees (compensated and non-compensated) are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct and abide by confidentiality policies.

Questions should be directed to NCE_HumanResources@ncep.uscourts.gov or by contacting the coordinating Probation Officer for the respective office.

Office Contact
Fayetteville Jared Britt OR Mark Culp
U.S. Probation Officer
150 Rowan Street, Suite 110
Fayetteville, NC 27301
(910) 483-8613
Greenville Matthew Fmura
U.S. Probation Officer
201 Evans Street, Room 214
Greenville, NC 27858
(252) 758-7200
Jacksonville Shawn Lyon 
U.S. Probation Officer
200 Williamsburg Parkway, Unit 2
Jacksonville, NC 28546
910-347-9038
Raleigh Linwood King OR Anna Perez
U.S. Probation Officer
310 New Bern Avenue, Room 610
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 861-8660
Wilmington Kathleen Cesare  OR  Jessica Hughes
U.S. Probation Office
414 Chestnut Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
(910) 815-4857