Over the summer, 18 Pacific students interested in criminal justice gained real-world experience while making a personal difference in their community through internships at five Stockton area nonprofits serving people affected by the justice system. This includes those living under correctional supervision, juvenile hall, probation or parole and the affected families and communities.
Thanks to the PReP (Pacific Re-Entry Program), created in the College of the Pacific and funded by money from the Irvine Foundation, students studying criminal justice, sociology and political science took on paid internships that offered valuable, hands-on learning in their fields.
“Students are seeing the humanity of persons within the system. It’s not just a process of what happens to people. These are real people; these are their real lives and their situations,” said criminal justice professor Jennifer Medel.
At five non-profits, students gained valuable and often eye-opening experiences. Students organized and led rehabilitative programs, supported clients in court and in the community, and organized neighborhood events.
“The internship helped me establish interpersonal connections in terms of helping people that are currently being impacted by the system itself and realize that some people are still impacted even after they’ve been released,” said criminal justice major, Aiden Chea ’24.
Concrete Development Program
Criminal justice major, Ella LeRoy ’24, spent her internship with Concrete Development, a community violence intervention organization.
“The goal of the organization is to reduce violence within communities using people-centered approaches. They do not target crimes directly but rather violent-prone individuals,” Ella said.
The organization supports clients processing their own experiences with violence and trauma. It provides them with tools and resources to break the cycle, so they are less likely to engage in criminal activity or actions that are hurtful to themselves or others. Ella contributed to a 12-week program designed to teach self-healing, self-advocacy and self-development.
“I think one of the main things that I learned as a criminal justice major is how broad the area of criminal justice is and that the process should start the intervention stage, far before people enter the system,” Ella said. “Criminal justice is about much more than just probation and the law. There’s a lot more that goes into intervening and preventing violence.”
Mary Magdalene Community Services
Sociology major, Jasmine Stallworth ’25, interned for My Brothers Keeper, a program sponsored by Mary Magdalene Community Services. My Brothers Keeper was specifically created for troubled teenage boys of color to help them reach their life goals and break abusive patterns. The program offers mentorship, college visits and activities that engage the youth with the Stockton community.
“The reason I chose My Brother’s Keeper was because it allowed me to get experience in the juvenile hall working with incarcerated youth,” Jasmine said. “It was also about getting experience in the community, working and with others because youth is something that I’m passionate about. Youth is the future.”
Jasmine and two other interns went on to create My Sister’s Keeper, which is dedicated to equipping a diverse community of girls in their educational pursuits.
“It’s a program for girls where they are able to come and learn about different topics such as higher education, womanhood and relationships,” Jasmine explained. “We’re trying to create a community in which girls feel safe, have someone to talk to and can come together.”
Ready to Work
Aiden Chea worked behind the scenes at Ready to Work, which helps homeless and formerly incarcerated people who struggle to get a chance at job opportunities. It hosts a variety of classes to help clients get on their feet again. Aiden and other interns facilitated the program providing in-depth healing and leadership development training, organizing workshops and hosting events like movie nights.
One of the goals of the PReP program was to help Pacific students see the humanity of people in the criminal justice system. “I think the actual lived experiences that I’ve gotten before leaving Pacific and going into the workforce is invaluable, and something that I think I’ll always be grateful to this university for providing,” Ella said.