Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)

Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA) Internship Opportunity VIA A and VIA B

Santa Ana College in collaboration with the Orange County Probation Department will be offering a two semester Internship Certified Program for those students who may be interested in the field of Corrections. VIA will be held each semester and students may earn up to a total of 6 units in two consecutive semesters. Classes will be held at the Probation Grand Avenue Office (GAO) located at 1001 South Grand Avenue in Santa Ana.

VIA A - Volunteer Internship Academy (Criminal Justice 111A)

First Semester: Requires 40 hours of classroom lecture provided by experienced staff from the Probation Department who are experts in their field. Classes will be held on Wednesday nights from 6:00 PM to 9:10 PM. They will provide training on the mission, values, and ethics of the department. Also included will be an overview of the department and specific topics such as Confidentiality - Client’s Right to Privacy, Juvenile and Adult Court, Field Services, Domestic Violence, Sex Offender, Substance Abuse, Gang Violence Suppression, and Officer Safety. One Saturday classes will be required to tour Probation’s Juvenile Institutions. In addition, each student is required to complete 4 hours of Job Shadowing for a total of 3 semester units.

VIA B - Volunteer Internship Academy (Criminal Justice 111B)

Second Semester: Requires students to complete an internship of a minimum of 120 hours (3 units). The internship will be under the supervision of probation staff at various probation department facilities. Students will be required to consult periodically with their instructor from Santa Ana College.

Upon successful completion of the two semesters, the Orange County Probation Department will award each student a “Certificate of Completion.” Students who are encouraged to continue to volunteer for Probation.

Minimum Requirements for Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)

• Be at least 18 years of age and provide proof of legal residency in the United States.
• Not be on formal or informal probation or parole for at least one year prior to the start of the VIA Program.
• Obtain a test for tuberculosis with negative results.
• Pass a background investigation to the satisfaction of the Probation Department.
• First semester students must make a reservation to attend General Information Meeting (GIM) as soon as possible. Call (714) 667-7730 to reserve a seat.

2012				Training Location
General Information Meetings 7:00 – 9:00 PM (RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)				Orange County Probation Department Grand Avenue Office (GAO) 1001 S. Grand Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705
Thursday	January	5	2012
Monday	March	5	2012
Tuesday	May	1	2012
Monday	June	4	2012
Monday	July	16	2012
Wednesday	November	7	2012
Monday	December	3	2012

For further information, please contact

• Jeff Corp at corp_jeffrey@sac.edu
• Victor Ledesma (OCPD) at 714-667-7712 or Victor.Ledesma@prob.ocgov.com 
• Santa Ana College web site

FAQs - Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)

1. What is the Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)?

VIA is a collaborative internship academy between the Orange County Probation Department and Santa Ana College that provides the opportunity for SAC students, who are or may be interested in pursuing a career with the Orange County Probation Department, to obtain in depth training, knowledge and experience from experts in the field of corrections and have the opportunity to earn six (6) college semester units for work successfully completed.

2. What do I need to do to enroll in to the Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)?

You must be at least 18 years of age and complete a General Information Meeting, which are held once a month, from 7-9 PM at the Grand Avenue Office (GAO) located at 1001 S. Grand Avenue in Santa Ana. Please refer to the list of dates above. Reservations are required. Call (714) 667-7730 to reserve a seat.

During the meeting, you will be asked to submit an application to become a Volunteer in Probation and will need to schedule an interview with Senior Deputy Probation Officer, Victor Ledesma. Later in the process, you will be required to submit to a TB test and pass a background check to the satisfaction of the Probation Department.

Once you have completed the process above, you must enroll or already be enrolled in SAC and may enroll in the Volunteer Internship (see SAC catelog for section number.) Only those students who have successfully completed VIA A may enroll the second semester in VIA B Internship Work Experience (see SAC catelog for section number.) Upon successful completion of both classes you will be presented in a formal gathering with a Certificate of Completion of the Volunteer Internship Academy.

3. Do I need to be a student at Santa Ana College?

Yes, but you may enroll at SAC just to take this class. Please refer to the SAC website for current section numbers.

4. How many credits can I get by completing VIA?

A total of 6 semester units; three (3) units will be received upon successful completion of CJ111A Volunteer Internship and three (3) units for successful completion of CJ111B Internship Work Experience.

5. Where does the VIA class meet, what days and what time?

The class will meet at the Grand Avenue Office located at 1001 S. Grand Ave. in the city of Santa Ana. This is the same location in which you attended your General Information Meeting.

Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA-A) classes meet on Wednesday nights from 6 PM – 9:10 PM for the semester in which you are enrolled. One class is held on a Saturday so students may tour our juvenile correctional facilities. Students will also complete 4 hours of Job Shadowing.

Volunteer Internship Work Experience (VIA-B) consists of 120 hours of hands-on internship work under the direct supervision of probation staff and allows students to experience a variety of probation assignments. The group will meet on three Monday nights during the semester for supervision and direction.

6. Will the Job Shadowing and Internship hours work around my schedule?

Yes, the Probation Department operates 24 hours a day for seven days a week. Students scheduled for Job Shadowing and Internship will be made to accommodate your personal work and school schedules.

7. Am I guaranteed a job with the Probation Department if I successfully complete the Academy?

No, you will be provided with in-depth education and experiences of the field of corrections, but there are many other processes to complete and factors to be considered prior to a student being offered employment with the Probation Department. Please refer to the Job Opportunities on this website.