Volunteer Internship Academy (VIA)

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 employment with the Probation Department. VIA #4 will begin in the Spring of 2009 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.

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. Two Saturday classes will be required to tour Probation’s Juvenile Institutions (combined total of 12 hours). In addition, each student is required to complete 10 hours of Job Shadowing for a total of 3 semester units.

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 at least 20 years of age, who have successfully completed the program, are encouraged to apply for employment with the Probation Department as a Deputy Juvenile Correctional Officer (DJCO) or continue as a Volunteer in Probation (VIP).

For further information, please contact

- Probation Division Director and SAC Instructor
- Darlyne Pettinicchio (OCPD) at 714-796-0426 or Darlyne.Pettinicchio@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. No reservations are needed and you may just show up for the meeting.

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 Deputy Probation Officer, Brent Ward or VIA Coordinator, Marie Moreno. 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 have completed an Introduction to Criminal Justice class or a similar class or training from an accredited college. You are then able to enroll in CJ 198 Volunteer Internship, Ticket #2219801. Only those students who have successfully completed this class may enroll the second semester in CJ 198 Internship Work Experience, Ticket #2219802. 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; registration begins November 24 – February 6, 2009 for the Spring 2009 semester.

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 CJ 198 Volunteer Internship and three (3) units for successful completion of CJ198 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 meets on Wednesday nights from 6 PM – 9:10 PM for the semester in which you are enrolled. Two classes are held on Saturdays so students may tour our juvenile correctional facilities. Students will also complete 12 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.