Intern, State of Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate

Grant Recipient: Class of 2010
Major: Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies and Psychology double major
Organization: State of Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate
Location: Hartford, CT

The major part of my internship focuses around girls incarcerated at the York Correctional Institute as juvenile and youthful offenders. I am creating a database of information to track pathways for adolescent girls into the adult prison system. As part of this process, I have attended meetings and presentations at the Legislative Office Building, Department of Children and Families, the Manson Correctional Institute for boys, and the York Correctional Institute for women. I am able to play an active role in the office and in creating my internship experience based within the needs of the office, taking this project from the ground up. It has been an amazing experience and a behind the scenes look at the prison system, the Department of Children and Families, and the inner workings of the Child Advocate office, and I am able to leave behind a project that can help the office to advocate on behalf of girls at-risk or involved in the criminal justice system.