Georgia County Internship Program Spotlight

During the summer of 2014, Middle Georgia State College criminal justice majors Mark Apple and Alisa Ryan interned with the Public Defender’s Office in the Macon Judicial Circuit, located in Macon-Bibb County. Apple and Ryan were tasked with reviewing cases, observing court proceedings, writing case reports for the attorneys and serving as a "mock jury" to assist with trial preparation.

When asked about their most significant successes during the internship, Ryan credited her greater understanding of how public defenders prepare cases and witnessing their level of compassion as they interact with clients as the primary success. Apple claimed that applying what he had learned in class to the day-to-day operations of the criminal justice system and how the system works from the time of arrest to the sentencing phase as his greatest success.

Both Ryan and Apple attributed learning how the system actually worked as their favorite part of the internship. This opportunity provided Ryan with a greater appreciation of the adversarial nature of the system, which will be helpful as she pursues a career as a prosecutor. Apple enjoyed the opportunity to work with great people, breakdown case files and watch the various stages of court proceedings.

Ryan stated the biggest take away from this experience for her is learning the importance of detail, consistency, and clarity in regards to law enforcement reporting during every step of the criminal processing of a defendant. Apple believes this internship has better prepared him to know what to expect when he begins his career due to the exposure to the criminal justice system that he received and the people skills he developed.

Both students plan to pursue a career in criminal justice and felt that the internship not only allowed them to learn from a practical perspective how the legal system actually worked, but has also prepared them for a career in this field.

For more information on the GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at http://www.civicaffairs.org

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