The Philadelphia Effect
I wish I could take the pain away
If you can make it through the night there's a brighter day,
everything will be alright if ya hold on
It's a struggle everyday, gotta roll on
-2Pac
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I really had no expectations coming into my Philly experience. The pressure and "crunch" that many of my peers were feeling was non-existent to me because I had the reassurance of a job outside of college. That dynamic matched with my easy-going personality, made my personal internship hunting experience fun and exciting. After having three interviews, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to work with a diverse range of populations and therefore, I chose to be a homicide mitigation intern. I felt very comfortable talking with the five women that I would be working with and I came to the realization that I wanted to have an experience that would really stretch me as a professional.
My first day as an intern was one full of events and I was really thrown into the culture of what my bosses do every single day. I was not shocked at the cases, as I had various experiences working with those who have been oppressed within the "system", but rather saddened at the frequency of how much they are oppressed. I learned so much about the law jargon and the way in which people are both defended and prosecuted. When I woke up and came to the Public Defender's office, I was greeted by a social worker named Julie and we proceeded to the court-house.
When we got to the courthouse there was an incredible amount of people waiting to get scanned and searched by security. I could not help but think of the defendants and families who await an agonizing trial plus having to deal with the anxiety of long lines and impatient attorneys. The elevator process was even more chaotic than the security check as massive amounts of people were crunched into corners and crevices. It seemed like such an unorganized process, and one that would certainly take its toll on those who were not accustomed to being there everyday. It was fairly obvious as to who was empathetic towards one another and who was just trying to make a quick buck. Many attorneys claimed a certain respect that very few were willing to give to them and they really let their frustrations be known. One of the more memorable attorneys shouted, "Ugh, these people fucking stink over here". The words pierced me like a knife in the heart and from then on, I felt reassured that I had picked the right internship.
My first case that I observed was an armed forces veteran who I will call Milton. Milton was a young man who was being charged with having over 40 child pornography films on his computer. At first glance, this seems to be a case in which the young man "should" get the strictest penalties enforced however; when really discerning the case, there is major evidence to show that Milton had some major trauma in his life that could have caused his major change in sexual desires.
I talked to the social worker that I was working with (Julie) throughout the day as she explained that Milton had been sexually assaulted in the armed forces and was never the same since. He went through a deep depression that involved a sexual desire for minors and later ended up in his arrest and trial of child pornography. At the trial, I had an opportunity to both listen to Julie communicate with the family and I also had a chance to talk to the father about the case. The court hearing was later postponed because the D.A. was trying to gather enough evidence to make it a federal case, but I did get a great feel for how the Criminal Justice system works and the amount of work Homicide Mitigators put in to fully advocate for their clients.
Later in the day, I had the opportunity to read through various client cases to get a feel as to who and what I would be defending throughout the semester. Case after case seemed more and more in depth with deep rooted histories of abuse, neglect, drug dependence, and overall "broken" homes. It saddened me to observe the reoccurring patterns in each case and to come to the realization that some people just cannot get away from the system's constraints. My hope is that this semester helps me to re-focus on the empathy skills that are necessary in order to thrive as a professional and to re-evaluate the stereotypes and first impressions that I have of those who have been apart of the Criminal Justice system.
My first day as an intern was one full of events and I was really thrown into the culture of what my bosses do every single day. I was not shocked at the cases, as I had various experiences working with those who have been oppressed within the "system", but rather saddened at the frequency of how much they are oppressed. I learned so much about the law jargon and the way in which people are both defended and prosecuted. When I woke up and came to the Public Defender's office, I was greeted by a social worker named Julie and we proceeded to the court-house.
When we got to the courthouse there was an incredible amount of people waiting to get scanned and searched by security. I could not help but think of the defendants and families who await an agonizing trial plus having to deal with the anxiety of long lines and impatient attorneys. The elevator process was even more chaotic than the security check as massive amounts of people were crunched into corners and crevices. It seemed like such an unorganized process, and one that would certainly take its toll on those who were not accustomed to being there everyday. It was fairly obvious as to who was empathetic towards one another and who was just trying to make a quick buck. Many attorneys claimed a certain respect that very few were willing to give to them and they really let their frustrations be known. One of the more memorable attorneys shouted, "Ugh, these people fucking stink over here". The words pierced me like a knife in the heart and from then on, I felt reassured that I had picked the right internship.
My first case that I observed was an armed forces veteran who I will call Milton. Milton was a young man who was being charged with having over 40 child pornography films on his computer. At first glance, this seems to be a case in which the young man "should" get the strictest penalties enforced however; when really discerning the case, there is major evidence to show that Milton had some major trauma in his life that could have caused his major change in sexual desires.
I talked to the social worker that I was working with (Julie) throughout the day as she explained that Milton had been sexually assaulted in the armed forces and was never the same since. He went through a deep depression that involved a sexual desire for minors and later ended up in his arrest and trial of child pornography. At the trial, I had an opportunity to both listen to Julie communicate with the family and I also had a chance to talk to the father about the case. The court hearing was later postponed because the D.A. was trying to gather enough evidence to make it a federal case, but I did get a great feel for how the Criminal Justice system works and the amount of work Homicide Mitigators put in to fully advocate for their clients.
Later in the day, I had the opportunity to read through various client cases to get a feel as to who and what I would be defending throughout the semester. Case after case seemed more and more in depth with deep rooted histories of abuse, neglect, drug dependence, and overall "broken" homes. It saddened me to observe the reoccurring patterns in each case and to come to the realization that some people just cannot get away from the system's constraints. My hope is that this semester helps me to re-focus on the empathy skills that are necessary in order to thrive as a professional and to re-evaluate the stereotypes and first impressions that I have of those who have been apart of the Criminal Justice system.
