Criminal Justice and Social Work Internships

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office offers a Criminal Justice and Social Work internships during Fall, Winter/Spring and Summer semesters for fulltime students.

Our Criminal Justice Internship Program is targeted to students in law enforcement related fields of study who are considering a career in law enforcement. We also offer Social Work internships with our Dane County Sheriff Social Workers.

The goal of the Criminal Justice Internship Program is to allow interns the opportunity to see, first-hand, what it takes to be a Dane County Deputy, the duties that we perform and how we interact with other criminal justice/public safety organizations.

Interns will be assigned to as many different areas of our agency as possible and on all shifts: Jail, Patrol, Investigative Services Bureau, Community Deputy, Court Services, Civil Process, Civil Executions, Jail Diversion and more! Most interns are also able to experience and participate with our many special teams: Tactical Response Team, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Hostage Negotiations Team and K-9 Unit, to name a few.

Opportunities my also exist for interns to assist with or attend training and experience our collaboration with other agencies: Dispatch, Juvenile Reception Center, Medical Examiner’s Office, etc.

These are unpaid internships. 

Fall 2024 Intership Application Deadline is Monday, July 15, 2024.

We are looking for students who are self-motivated, can work independently and with others, are able to take direction, think outside the box, are consistent, have a positive attitude and enjoy helping others. Criminal Justice interns may interact one-on-one and/or with large groups of residents. You may also have a lot of contact and interaction with members of the public and other Sheriff’s Office staff.

• Students must currently be enrolled at a university/college studying Criminal Justice or another related field.
• We are seeking students who are interested in pursuing a career in the Criminal Justice field.
• Students must be earning college credits through their school internship program.
• Students must have reliable transportation to locations throughout Dane County.
• Students must submit a completed Internship Application along with a sample of writing.
• Hours: All shifts and all days of the week, but dependent on the intern’s school/work schedule.

• Submit a completed Internship Application (click here to download). Completed applications can be emailed to crecelius.haven@danesheriff.com Please specify the semester and year you intend to complete your internship. The writing sample can be an essay OR short term paper you have previously completed for a class, or something similar.  It does not have to be something specifically written for your application.  The writing sample is in ADDITION to the Qualifications Statement on Page 9 of the application.
• Interview
• Background Investigation

Fall 2024 Intership Application Deadline is Monday, July 15, 2024.

If you have additional questions or concerns about the internship opportunities at the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, please contact the Internship Coordinator, Deputy Haven Crecelius,  at (608) 284-6174 or  crecelius.haven@danesheriff.com