Hello! My name is Mandy Pruitt and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia with a double major in Sociology and Criminal Justice. For the criminal justice degree, I am required to complete a semester-long, full time internship in a criminal justice related agency. In addition to working full time, I will complete an independent research project and write a series of reflective essays about my role as an intern. The purpose of this internship is to incorporate what students have learned in the academic setting to the real world, as well as give students the opportunity to network in the field.
Because my academic and career interests are in corrections, I will be interning with Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos, a non-profit organization.
I don't speak Spanish . . . uhh what is Barrios Unidos?
Founded by Daniel 'Nane' Alejandrez, Barrios Unidos (united neighborhoods) is a community based organization located in Santa Cruz, California, which is about an hour south of San Francisco or thirty minutes outside of San Jose. For almost 40 years, Barrios Unidos (BU) has served the community by standing for social justice in the form of nonviolence. Since its founding, BU has developed several successful programs, which includes intervention programs to assist at-risk-youth, support incarcerated individuals, and provide reentry services for those transitioning from prison into everyday life.
For more information, visit the Barrios Unidos website.
What will you be doing?
Barrios Unidos operates a program called The Prison Project, which provides reentry assistance to individuals in our nation's correctional facilities, mainly prisons and jails. Believe it or not, most people who go to prison or jail do return to the general population at some point, and as such, they need to know what awaits for them on the other side. Prisoners from all over the country, mainly in California, will write letters to BU requesting information. Therefore, as a Prison Project Intern, I will be corresponding with incarcerated individuals. Because this internship is designed to give me an inside perspective of the criminal justice system, my responsibilities will vary.
Why are you in Santa Cruz, of all places?
Reasons: (1) Familiarity: I have extended family in the area, so I have visited Santa Cruz many times; (2) Networking Opportunities: I planned on moving to the west coast after I graduate, so I decided to complete the internship in California--knowing this would help me begin my career; (3) Climate: In the same hour, I can hike in the redwood forest and I can lounge on the beach; and (4) Local Atmosphere: Santa Cruz prides itself in its weird, eclectic, beach-vibe attitude. It's a wonderful city!
Okay, so why should I read this blog?
I would like for the focus of this blog to be about the realities of the criminal justice system: as a system of crime control and as a reality for individuals all over the world. I may discuss topics such as: crime statistics, sentencing decisions, prison conditions, crime control mechanisms, prosecutorial discretion, juvenile correction options, parole & probation, current policies and initiatives, and criminological data and research.
Additionally, I would like for this blog to be a learning opportunity for family and friends. Many perceptions of the criminal justice system are limited, so I hope readers will gain a deeper understanding of the policies & practices of the system. I will do this by analyzing current criminological research and connecting this data with my experiences as an and observations as an intern. I'll do my best to limit the academic jargon but I can't make any promises.
Note: Because I am a student of the social sciences, I follow specific principles in which any research or data is presented in an ethical, objective, and non-biased manner. As the nature of my work involves personal or sensitive material, I will protect this information and cover identities, when appropriate, using pseudonyms (designated as **).
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