Fieldwork

Fieldwork is always the most anticipated of a student’s school’s life. It is an exciting moment to know what to expect when you graduate from college or any institution of higher learning. Students get a range of skills that range from conflict management to good decision making. At the beginning of the field work one might, however, feel exhausted and challenged but as time goes by, one gets used to the work environment. It is a practice that helps students apply what they have gained in class to the real world

As a learner in criminal justice looking forward to working as a juvenile probation office, I was required to attend fieldwork that was aimed at equipping with special skills in the profession. the field work was supposed to be not less than ten hours. I, therefore, worked under the supervision of Natasha Pitts who is a probation officer working with the Department of Community Supervision in Atlanta GA. She is a skilled lady who shows professionalism in her work.

The Department of Community Supervision has the responsibility of supervising more than 180,000 adult offenders who commit a felony as well as class A and B designated juvenile offenders. Among them are those who have been granted parole while others have been probated already or have split sentences in various courts in Georgia.

I contacted them through a letter that was addressed to the Human resources manager. I wrote to them seeking a chance to work with them as a learner through the following address:

2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive SE,

Suite 458, East Tower

Atlanta, GA 30334.

I later made a follow-up phone call (404) 656-4661) through which I confirmed my acceptance at the facility.

Having completed my ten-hour field work target. I bid them goodbye having acquired a lot of skills: both hands-on as well as soft skills. The aim being to make me a smart probation officer who understand all the necessary rules in the field. The fieldwork gave me the required exposure to criminal justice work environment.

On completing my ten-hour field work target, I was expected to be able to interact with adolescents and be in a position to solve their problems in a reasonable manner. I was supposed to be able to talk to their parents, teachers, and other adults and give them advice regarding the juniors. With a background information on criminal justice, the ability to make good choices was not an option but a requirement. The decisions are supposed to make sure that the offenders do not re-commit the wrongdoing once more. The skills gained were supposed to enable me to work with professionals such as lawyers, judges and other correctional officers in a good way. The experience required me to learn excellent communication skills and teamwork. fortunately, enough I was able to acquire almost all these skills. The few skills that I did not fully get to understand will need to be studied. I will study them through research as well as observation.

I met my expectations since I got the skills and the experience of working in a real work environment. I was in a position to learn more skills than I even anticipated. Working with Natasha Pitts gave me a sense of responsibility since I saw devotion in her. I understood that to succeed in this career, I had to exhibit patience and high sense of responsibility. This is because many juveniles look upon you to provide guidance and advice to them. The education background is supposed to be a backup to offer a platform to better communication skills and negotiation skills. I was captivated by the way the public appreciate work done by criminal justice officers.

The experience was an educative one and I expect to apply the skills in making the right decision work when I graduate. The same will enable me to be a good timekeeper and an exemplary leader in my section. The knowledge will be a good guide towards preparing and presenting reports in courts and committing to tight programs at work.

I gained knowledge in operating different machines and software as well. These were the machines and software used in their offices as well as in the field. apart from that, I gained counseling skills which I was supposed to apply in my work as a juvenile probation officer. I was able to gain experience on how to interact with different people appropriately. These people include the offenders themselves as well as their teachers and parents. I was able to gain knowledge in planning and organizing my wok into smaller sections to make it easier to assess. Ability to read and analyze geographical data will as well help me in locating crime scenes and following routes to various places.

Skills like the ability to follow both written and verbal instructions were one of the most valuable ones I achieved. I will apply such skills both at school and at work. they will help me to review information with exemplary accuracy. The experience will come in handy in the preparation and submission of timesheets and mileage reimbursement in an accurate and timely way.