
Taylor Kramer
Criminal Investigations Unit Intern, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office
Major: Criminology and Criminal Justice & Psychology
Class Year: 2023
What was a typical week like in your internship position?
A typical week in my internship position would be different depending on what was going on. When there was court, we were often able to sit in and observe it and were exposed to all different types of hearings and courts. We would assist the detectives with their daily tasks, such as watching recorded footage and organizing reports. One big task I worked on was digitizing cases from years prior, which allowed me to read and gain insight into many different cases and outcomes. Throughout the internship, we got to go and see many different places and aspects of the criminal justice system such as SWAT team, dive team, the state police, medical examiners, juvenile detention centers, as well as shooting and de-escalation practice.
What do you enjoy most about your current position?
I truly enjoyed being able to see the collaboration between all of the different aspects of the criminal justice system. I saw how the detectives, prosecutors, and defense attorneys all worked together. I saw how crime labs at the state level worked with the county level. I saw how the victim witness was able to assist during the court sessions. I also was able to see how social services were used throughout the system. I even saw how helpful everyone was in getting the best-case scenario to be brought about.
How did your coursework help you in your internship?
My coursework was able to help me in my internship because I was exposed to how the criminal justice system operates, from the law enforcement side and the court side. I was also enlightened on aspects of criminalistics and was able to see that brought to light through different cases. My psychology classes also opened my eyes to different issues that were brought up in both the prosecution and defense.
How did you locate your internship position?
I located this internship through a simple online search of experiences by me at home.
Advice for students:
The advice I would give to students is to talk to anyone you can get in contact with and get their contact information. I took advantage of any time I had with the detectives, even if it was when we were driving on some of our trips, to ask them questions and advice, which led to me considering a different career path. When I was saying my goodbyes and thank yous, I was told multiple times that I was the only one who took advantage of them. It not only helps you by giving you guidance but also makes you look good and shows your interest and respect for what they are doing.