Student Internships at the Erie County Probation Department
Probation Officers perform a variety of duties related to the investigation and supervision of individuals involved in the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Student interns shadow Officers during probation reports, visits at school and meetings with service providers, observe Pre-Sentence interviews, and accompany Officers to Court proceedings. Interns also learn about the different programs offered to offenders such as diversionary programs, educational and cognitive behavioral programs.
Criteria for student interns:
- Student must apply through his/her college Internship Coordinator. We do not accept applications directly from students.
- Student must be actively enrolled in an internship class in a four year College/University or Master’s Degree program. (We do not accommodate "Field" or "Volunteer" experiences.)
- Student must be in good standing with the school.
- The student must agree to a current criminal record check, which must be void of any criminal history.
- Student must be able to complete hours during Probation Department’s business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30am-5:00pm. Friday’s are typically not a good day for students to intern at the Probation Department.
If you meet the above criteria and are interested in an internship with the Erie County Probation Department, please have your Internship Coordinator contact Probation Officer Heather Gechell at (716) 858-8831 or heather.gechell@erie.gov. Internships should be applied for at least eight weeks in advance of the semester being applied for. As part of the application process, a copy of the Request for Student Internship is to be completed by the student and given to the Internship Coordinator who will in turn forward it to the Probation Department with the documentation required from the school.