Field Placement Option in Criminology and Criminal Justice (CRCJ 3901) – 1.0 credit
The Field Placement option in Criminology and Criminal Justice has been offered at Carleton University since 1973. Through a field placement in an agency setting, students are provided the opportunity to obtain practical involvement in various aspects of the penal field. This may include work related to policy development and to the administration of criminal justice, support for marginalized and/or criminalized individuals, support for victims of criminalized incidents or persons in distress, and crime prevention initiatives, to name a few. Below you will find a few examples of organizations offering placement opportunities for ICCJ students.
Students interested in participating apply for acceptance to the Field Placement after completing nine credits (for 3rd year standing). Students must have 3rd year standing in order to participate.
BA Honours students accepted into CRCJ 3901 (1.0 credit) may also be eligible to complete CRCJ 3902 (1.0 credit) which would require them to work an additional 8 hours a week at their assigned agency.
Information Session:
Virtual 2024-2025 Field Placement Practicum Info Session
Field Placement Application:
The application for the 2024-2025 field placement application is now closed.
Changing our method to allocate placement opportunities:
The Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice (ICCJ) is changing the ways in which placement opportunities are allocated to our students. The tradition has been to simply offer all our placements opportunities to students presenting the highest GPA (grade points average). We understand that placement opportunities motivate many students to strive towards academic excellence. As such, we will continue to allocate many placement opportunities on the basis of recorded GPA. But we also understand that academic achievements are mediated by a host of complex factors and that meritocracy is, in many instances, simply masking the role of the educational system in the reproduction of social inequalities. Strong disparities in academic performance persist and are irreducible to individual factors. In line with our orientation towards social justice, we are experimenting with randomizing a portion of the allocation of our placement opportunities. We think that this is a way to take stock of the barriers to academic success and opportunities which exist for some of our students, including our BIPOC students, our students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as first-generation university students. We also recognize that academic performance, as measured by the GPA, may not always be a strong indicator of the peculiar skills and human qualities required by some of our placements, particularly those involving intense interpersonal interactions with marginalized and criminalized individuals. To repeat, this is an experiment. Help us allocate our placement opportunities in the most just and equitable way: if you have comments about this initiative, or if you would like to share your student experience in relation to placement opportunities, please write to: criminology@carleton.ca
Examples of Organizations Offering Placement Opportunities:
- Boys and Girls Club Ottawa
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https://www.bgcottawa.org/
The Boys and Girls Club is a front-line agency, which operates a number of Clubs that provide social, educational, life skill and recreational programming to youth based on an early intervention philosophy. Students may have opportunities to take part in existing programs or implement their own activities directed at the life-skill needs of the Club’s members. Modelling of pro-social behaviour through supervision of activities reflects the Club’s commitment to preventive guidance and social, economic, and cultural sensitivity.
- Canadian Center for Justice Statistics – Statistics Canada
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https://www.cacp.ca/canadian-centre-for-justice-statistics.html
The mandate of the Policing Services Program is to collect, process, analyze and disseminate police-reported crime statistics and the administration of policing in Canada. The Program currently maintains the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, the Homicide Survey, and the Police Administration Survey. Statistics Canada’s Survey of Residential Facilities for Victims of Abuse (Transition Home Survey) is also housed in this Program. Assist with the production, verification and quality review of data reported by police services to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, the Homicide Survey, the Police Administration Survey and/or the Survey of Residential Facilities for Victims of Abuse.
- Circles of Support and Accountability
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https://cosa-ottawa.ca/
Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) is a community-based initiative operating on restorative justice principles. CoSA assists individuals who have served a prison sentence for a sexual offence(s) in their effort to re-enter society. These individuals, who are referred to as Core Members, participate in the program voluntarily and are not mandated by the judicial system. CoSA-Ottawa is one of currently 18 Canadian cities operating CoSA programs, representing approximately 150 to 200 circles and 500 volunteers. The Core Member and three to five trained and screened community volunteers comprise the Circle. They meet as a group and individually on a regular basis to:
▪ Support the Core Member’s community integration by facilitating his practical needs (i.e. access to medical services, social assistance, seeking employment/affordable housing, etc.) and by providing a consistent network of emotional support;
▪ Develop constructive and pro-social strategies and solutions to everyday problems and concerns;
▪ Challenge the Core Member’s behaviours and attitudes that may be associated with his offending cycle.
▪ Celebrate successes.
- Crime Prevention Ottawa
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https://www.crimepreventionottawa.ca/
Crime Prevention Ottawa (CPO) is dedicated to “crime reduction and enhanced community safety in Ottawa through collaborative, evidence-based crime prevention”. It brings together City Government, Police Services, School Boards, Child Protection, the United Way as well as community, business, and academic partners. The student would be involved in a range of research and administrative projects focused on supporting the work of Crime Prevention Ottawa projects such as the Ottawa Youth Gang Prevention Initiative. Crime Prevention Ottawa focuses on bringing a strategic and research-based approach to its work, which includes a range of activities to support the community.
- Crown Attorney’s Office (Ministry of the Attorney General)
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http://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/
The Ministry of the Attorney General is responsible for providing a fair and accessible justice system which reflects the needs of the diverse communities it serves across government and the province. It strives to manage the justice system in an equitable, affordable, and accessible way throughout the province. Student may get experience in a number of areas including trials, judicial pre-trials, attending a number of different courts. Placement is mostly observational but could have more involvement in reviewing and organizing cases and trial preparation, but that may depend on the Crown and/or the student.
- Department of Justice Canada – Research and Statistics Branch
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https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/jr/index.html
The Research and Statistics Division of Department of Justice produces and communicates high-quality empirical research and statistical analysis for the Department, using social science methods, as an integral part of the evidence-based policy process. The Division undertakes research that focuses on a wide variety of justice-related issues, for example Indigenous issues, criminal justice issues, criminal procedure reform, Criminal Code reform, drug addictions, family violence, governance, human rights and privacy, international research, legal aid, mental health, northern justice issues, organized crime, public opinion research, race and diversity, sentencing, terrorism and security, victims, and youth justice. The Research and Statistics Division is staffed by social science researchers drawn from a broad range of disciplines including anthropology, criminology, psychology, education, urban geography, law, political science, social work, sociology, and statistics. Qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as case law research, are used to answer questions of policy and programming relevance.
- Distress Centre
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https://www.dcottawa.on.ca/
The Centre operates a 24-hour telephone service providing crisis intervention, suicide prevention and support services to people dealing with a broad range of issues, which include suicide, sexual and physical abuse, addictions, physical and mental illness, and/or interpersonal problems. After the completion of an intensive 60-hour training, our students will staff our Mental Health Crisis Line and our Distress Line. Training topics will include communication skills, crisis intervention, suicide prevention, and current social issues.
- City of Ottawa – Emergency and Protective Services, Public Policy Development, Community Safety and Well-Being Unit
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https://ottawa.ca/en
Emergency and Protective Services Department is comprised of Ottawa Fire Services, Ottawa Paramedic Service, By-law and Regulatory Services, Security and Emergency Management, Public Policy Development and Business Support Services. Public Policy Development Branch is responsible for establishing public policy and drafting corresponding by-laws related to regulatory areas within the City’s purview, including matters relating to public safety, nuisance control, and consumer protection, among others. Public Policy Development Branch also provides strategic, policy, and regulatory advice to Departmental leads and members of Council and makes recommendations on the development and amendment of relevant by-laws and policies. The Community Safety and Well-Being unit is responsible, on behalf of Council, for developing the legislatively required Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. To develop the Plan, municipalities must work collaboratively to address priority risk factors with the goal of achieving sustainable communities where everyone is safe, has a sense of belonging, opportunities to participate, and where individuals and families are able to meet their needs for education, health care, food, housing, income, and social and cultural expression.
- John Howard Society
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https://johnhoward.on.ca/ottawa/
At the John Howard Society of Ottawa (JHS), students have the opportunity to work with clients who have been criminalized and experience higher rates of problematic psychoactive substance use, mental health issues and high-risk behaviours. They provide one-on-one skills training involving goal setting, prioritizing needs, establishing a rapport and open communication with clients, addressing barriers, helping clients navigate social services, as well as understand risk, need, and responsivity factors of this population. Students also have the opportunity to plan, prepare for and facilitate group workshops for clients. These workshops include life skills, such as self-advocacy, self-management & self-direction, effective communication, interpersonal skills, emotions management, problem-solving, attitudes, cultural awareness, and pro-social recreational activities.
- National Judicial Institute
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https://www.nji-inm.ca/?langSwitch=en
Based in Ottawa, the National Judicial Institute (NJI) is an independent, judge-led organization that provides dynamic and relevant educational programs and resources to Canada’s 2,500-strong judiciary. An acknowledged world leader in the design and delivery of judicial education, NJI also shares its judicial training expertise abroad. The NJI is a non-profit organization dedicated to the continuing professional education of the judiciary. This placement will provide the student with an exciting opportunity to learn about the judicial role and to gain a general understanding of the law and current legal issues. The student may have an opportunity to attend certain segments of one of the Institute’s programs. Duties may include the following: conducting basic legal research, assisting with the reference library and other materials; work with the electronic benchbooks and the judicial library; assisting with information requests and providing support to international delegations.
- Office of the Correctional Investigator
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https://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx
The Correctional Investigator is mandated by Part III of the Corrections and Conditional Release Act as an Ombudsman for federal offenders. The mandate of the Office of the Correctional Investigator (OCI) is to conduct investigations into the problems of offenders related to decisions, recommendations, acts or omissions of the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) that negatively affect offenders either individually or as a group. The Office also has a responsibility to review and make recommendations on the Correctional Service’s policies and procedures associated with the areas of individual complaints to ensure that systemic areas of concern are identified and appropriately addressed. The OCI is independent from CSC and can make any recommendation seen as appropriate to solve a complaint. It receives more than 7,000 complaints a year from offenders.
- Law Offices
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Many law offices specializing in criminal defence or family law offer placement opportunities for ICCJ students.