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54.

Meeting Date:	09/14/2015
Graduate Student Internship Agreement
Submitted for:	Martin Cuellar	Submitted By:	Anita Guerra
Department:	Sheriff

Subject:

Discussion and possible action to enter into a College of Health Sciences and Human Services Program Agreement and Education Experience Affiliation Agreement with the University of Texas-Pan American Department of Social Work and authorizing the Webb County Judge to execute all relevant documents; and any other matters incident thereto. The signed affiliation and internship agreement had been requested to be entered into as soon as possible as the internship was to start on no later than August 31, 2015.

Issue: Like other local law enforcement agencies, the Webb County Sheriff’s Office utilizes limited financial, operational, and manpower resources to grapple with, deter, mitigate, and/or resolve various serious criminal justice matters that stem from a confluence of deeply rooted, difficult, and often highly complex societal problems, such as jail recidivism arising from lack of educational/work experience background, alcohol/drug dependency, and/or untreated, serious mental illness. Simultaneously, many university students graduate with their degrees without obtaining significant real world experience in their preferred field of work.

Solution: At no financial cost, the Webb County Sheriff’s Office will enter into a program and education experience affiliation agreement with the University of Texas-Pan American Department of Social Work College of Health Sciences and Human Services to provide external internships for its graduate students to research and work on special graduate-level projects at the Sheriff’s Office in the students’ preferred field of study. The interns will be able to work on gathering information for best evidence-based practices and apply the information, if applicable and practical, in a criminal justice environment.

Result: Interns will gain exposure to field work and real world experience in a criminal justice environment. The Webb County Sheriff’s Office will participate in and gain from research into the application of law enforcement evidence-based practices with the possible expansion of services to the local community at no financial cost.

Background:

This agreement will allow the currently proposed intern to utilize the personnel, equipment, and facilities of the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, primarily at the Webb County jail. The currently proposed graduate student project will attempt to decrease recidivism by working with jail inmates on positively re-integrating themselves into the community and their constructive social groups (including their families) while they are still incarcerated in an attempt to decrease their likelihood of re-offending.

Previous Court Action:

None.

Fiscal Impact

Budget Account Number:	Not Applicable
Funding Source:	Not Applicable
Balance:	Not Applicable
Financial Impact:
No financial impact.

Attachments
UTPA-UTRGV Agreements