Juvenile Detention Center

Internship Opportunity Information

Program Director Christopher Fillwock and Staff Trainer Matthew Budd, Kent County Juvenile Detention, 17th Circuit Court Family Division, coordinate the internship experiences at Detention. The Kent County Juvenile Detention Center is a 98 bed facility located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It provides safe, secure temporary confinement for youth who are awaiting court action. While housed in our facility, youth participate in a wide range of group and individual activities for their benefit and to provide observation and information of the youth for the court.

All internships are 12-15 weeks in duration. Internships are available each semester for four graduate or undergraduate students with a background interest in probation, pre-law, juvenile delinquency, social work, or sociology. Internship daily schedules can range from morning hours (8:00am) to evening hours (11:00pm). Students will complete a 40+ hour orientation training experience after which they will perform supervised agency tasks.

Opportunities will include individual and small group work with youth who are in Juvenile Detention, and participation in administrative activities and special projects related to the facility’s management.

Requirements of internship experiences include a valid driver’s license and transportation while on the job, a placement interview, submission to a Law Enforcement Information Network background check (to verify candidate has no felony convictions), and willingness to sign a Confidentiality Agreement to maintain confidential juvenile information.

All documents can be submitted via email to Program Director Chris Fillwock. All applicants must submit a negative TB test prior to starting.

For questions about the above opportunities, please contact Chris Fillwock - Program Director, (616) 632-5777