Caroline Lang

Criminal Justice/Crime Scene Investigator Student

611 S 900 W
Salt Lake City
(801) 209-2414
clang05@me.com

SKILLS
I am currently a student at working towards obtaining my Bachelor's in Criminal Justice with a
focus in Crime Scene Investigation. I am seeking a position where I can utilize and build upon my
current strengths, and acquire new proficiencies in a challenging and growth-oriented
organization. I have a strong willingness to learn new skills, quickly putting them into practice and
am adaptable to changing environments. I enjoy working with others, am a team player, possess
an easy going demeanor and am very flexible and manageable.

EXPERIENCE
Fire/Medical Dispatcher, SLC911
Salt Lake City, 2017-Present
● Operate a multi-line telephone console system/alerting system/TDD system for the
deaf/hearing-impaired, translate information to the appropriate codes, determine/assign
the level of priority of the call then enter the data into a computer-aided dispatch system
for radio dispatch purposes, perform emergency medical dispatch/crisis intervention
services, ask vital questions/provide pre-arrival instructions for emergency medical calls,
monitor/operate a radio console/computer equipment, receive/respond to a variety of
emergency and non-emergency service/complaints, ask questions to interpret,
analyze/anticipate the caller’s situation as to resolve problems, provide information,
dispatch emergency services, or refer callers to other agencies, dispatch/coordinate the
responses of public safety agencies, identify appropriate number/type of equipment or
apparatus to dispatch, enters/modifies information into local, state and national computer
databases
Lead Sleep Technician, Granger Medical Center
Salt Lake City, Utah --- 2016-2017
● Administer Polysomnography/CPAP/BiPAP/ASV studies. Monitor patient EEG, EEG, pulse
oximeter readings for diagnostic purposes. Perform CPAP/BiPAP titrations for data used
in addressing sleep disorders. Collect data for Physicians to diagnose and treat patients
with sleep disorders. Oversee and monitor technicians in their nightly duties and sleep
studies. Improve upon training techniques to better acclimate technicians to the needs of
 the Physicians and the patients. Generate nightly reports on the completed studies each
shift
Advanced MSA- Sleep Clinic, Department of Veterans Affairs
Salt Lake City, Utah --- 2014-2016
● Manage and oversee the scheduling and daily organization of patients within the sleep
management clinic. Utilize and implement electronic waitlists and the recall system, pre-
registration updates, check in/out, clinic clean up, and accomplish all with regard to
patient confidentiality and privacy laws. Receive and provide copies of sleep studies to
providers, relay supply orders to purchasing agents, assist with supplies and set ups
example (attaching modems to CPAP/BiPAP machines). Oversee and review the daily
operations with the intent of perfecting the flow of the clinic and its patients. Reconstruct
and develop a system for patients and clinicians to better improve turnaround for both the
hospital and the patient.
Sales Agent, Qwest
Salt Lake City, Utah --- 2010-2011
● Manage personal accounts of customers, assist in billing issues, maintain good rapport
with existing customers while also enticing new customers, up selling every call that
comes in, address and resolve any issues presented by customers.
Direct Care Staff, TKJ Inc
Salt Lake City, Utah --- 2005-2008
● Provide assistance to adults with mental and physical disabilities, cook, clean, and aid in
personal hygiene. Organize and execute various events and outings for the residents.
Attend medical appointments and maintain personal health of residents including
medication distribution. Document daily occurrences, disruptions and events.

EDUCATION
● Rowland Hall St. Marks - High School Diploma --- 2002-2005
● University of Utah - Pre-med Studies --- 2005
● Salt Lake Community College - Criminal Justice --- Present

AWARDS
● CPR/BLS
● EMT-B Salt Lake Community College
● EMD/EPD/EFD Certified
● BCI Certified
Caroline Lang
611 S 900 W
Salt Lake City
(801) 209-2414
clang05@me.com

04/01/2018

Dear Mrs/Mr._______________,

I am interested in the Crime Scene Technician position as advertised on the

www.SLCgov.com website.

Currently I am employed as a 911 dispatcher for SLC 911 which serves Salt Lake City and
Sandy City. I believe that I am a qualified candidate for this position given my experience in
dispatch along with my educational merits and background in the medical field both as an EMT
and as a hospital employee.

As a 911 dispatcher I have worked alongside both Salt Lake City and Sandy Fire, Medical,
and Police professionals. This job requires an exceptional level of focus, detail, and multitasking
proficiencies among many demands. In addition to these fundamental skills dispatch requires, I
regularly utilize and implement my knowledge of criminal law in addition to city policies and
procedures throughout daily call taking, incident management, dispatching, agency assists, and
day to day interactions with the public. There is a high expectation of professionalism and
standard of customer service despite elevated levels of stress and workload. Working as a 911
dispatcher also demands a lot from employees as there is often mandatory overtime as well as
irregular work hours. I have worked every shift imaginable working at 911 including regularly
working 16 hour shifts.

During my career as a 911 dispatcher I have received accomodations from civilians, my

coworkers, my superiors, the director of 911 Lisa Burnette, and even our Mayor Jackie Biskupski.

Aside from my vocational attributes I am also a student of criminal justice with a focus on
Crime Scene Investigation. I will complete my Associates of Criminal Justice in at the end of
Summer 2018 and continuing onto my Bachelors Degree of Crime Scene Investigation/Forensic
Science at Weber State the following Fall.
 I am confident that my experience and skills qualify me for consideration in this agency. If
you are interested I would be happy to provide documentation of my accomodations and
references from my current employer as well as any additional personnel necessary. I have also
attached my resume for your review. Please feel free to contact me for any additional information.
I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my resume and candidacy for the position.

Sincerely,

Caroline Lang
Criminal Justice Memo

DATE: October 2, 2017

TO: Professor David Pack
FROM: Caroline Lang
SUBJECT: Information-Gathering Interview

I interviewed Detective D. Sonntag, a Salt Lake City Detective, to learn about a background to
criminal justice employment, working schedule, and the effects of the job on one’s personal life.
We met at noon at the Public Safety Building which was the most convenient for the detective.
The process of becoming a detective was interesting to me however the schedule and work
flexibility continues to create a strong appeal for the career.

Background to Criminal Justice

Detective Sonntage chose to go into the public service as a kind of response to his family trend.
His father was a patrol officer until retirement which was the background and encouragement to
get into the industry. Detective Sonntag felt a strong sense of responsibility to his community and
chose to take an active role in contributing by becoming a police officer.

Becoming a detective or a police officer takes a lot of physical and mental strength. The police
academy is a mix of physical, mental, educational, and legal training. There are days filled with
just running until your legs are jelly. Cadets are exposed to crowd control techniques, combative
subject defense training, and even mace/taser deployments are a part of police academy.

Day to day operations of a police officer can range from mild to extreme and the climate of every
interaction can change at the drop of a hat. It is a job that is high stress and requires exceptional
responsibility. Although police officers are often ostracised in the public eye they are the first
ones running towards danger and the first ones to respond when people call for help. A lot of the
job isn't just “getting the bad guy” but patrolling your beat, ensuring help is readily available, and
supporting the community by providing assistance when and where it is needed. Similarly
Detective work is a lot of office time following up on information related to various cases. It is
important that people understand there is a distinct difference between TV police/detectives and
the true heros protecting our streets and neighborhoods.

Working Schedule

As a police officer Detective Sonntag would start his day with a daily meeting with the lieutenant
then he would go out to his beat and being his patrol. As calls would come in and he would get
dispatched he would go to various areas of the city. Often times it was to support other officers
as a back on their call or if more officers are needed they respond. As a detective he is assigned
a caseload which he works through according to priority of calls and information attained.
Property crimes was the first area he worked as a detective which was a lot of office time spend
doing paperwork. There is a big bonus to being a detective and that is the schedule and time off
availability. Unlike police officers most detectives work a monday through friday shift so they are
able to go home to their families on the weekends.

Effects on Personal Life

Detective Sonntage loves his job. It is a position that is high stress and is a dangerous job where
you are exposed to the threat of violence or the threat of exposure. Dealing with the criminal
aspect of one's community can be very overwhelming however there are those that are helped
and it creates a big reward. Also a lot of the job is spent in the city on the streets rather than
being stuck in an office (unless of course you become a detective) and that experience is
priceless. Family and friends are a great way to disconnect from the job and it's important to not
bring work home particularly when you have children.

Interview Analysis

From this interview I learned a lot about careers in criminal justice. I have always had a bit of a
misinformed understanding of the realities of law enforcement careers and the time spent with
the detective was extremely informative. I take a lot of inspiration from his enthusiasm for his
career and for the rest of his law enforcement family. Aside from the context of the interview I
feel like I learned a lot from just the pre planning of the interview. Talking is the easy part but the
organization of pre planning was really priceless and allowed the interview to occur more
naturally.
 The United States Correctional System
Parole: A Failed System?
Written By: Caroline Lang

Decade after decade we have seen the United States Correctional System dig itself into a
state of crisis when it comes to rates of recidivism and post incarceration compliance. State
prison systems suffer from high rates of overcrowding and the resulting early release of convicts
into overcrowded parole programs. There are not appropriate programs focused on
rehabilitation, the development of applicable job skills or even a focus on restorative justice
programs. In order to be able to look forward we need to understand some of the reform that has
occurred within the US correctional system.
The United States established their own form of a correctional system which initially
mirrored that of Great Britain but as time would have it, the system grew and adjusted to the
environment and culture it was embedded within; both seen in both the Auburn and
Pennsylvania Prison Systems. As time would see it our prison systems would begin to fail and in
1870 the National Congress on Penitentiary and Reformatory Discipline was utilized to reform the
entire program by implementing parole, probation, various reformatories, and even general
sentencing. Although the intention of such changes was to reform the prisons and prisoner
outcomes these adjustments caused major problems (overwhelming parole caseloads,
parole/probation violations, FINANCE) which ultimately fostered high rates of recidivism. Over the
following decades we would continue to see a focus on recreational and rehabilitation programs
within the prison system and by the 1970’s the War on Drugs would make a huge impact on the
prison system, but not in a positive trend. Stricter laws sent many non violent criminals to prison
which perpetuated the overcrowding epidemic already existing in state prison systems. In
centuries since the initiation of the War on Drugs we have seen the expansion and development
of new prisons yet the issue of overcrowding remains at large. “Legislatures responded by
passing "get tough" measures, including sentencing guidelines (which required prison sentences
for some offenders who in the past might have been put on probation), so-called “three strikes
and you're out laws” (which mandated prison terms for repeat offenders), mandatory minimum
sentences (forcing judges to impose fixed sentences regardless of mitigating factors), and truth-
in-sentencing measures (requiring inmates to serve a greater proportion of their imposed
sentence before becoming eligible for parole)”(Petersilia 2011).
This leads us to another growing concern which results from prison overcrowding; early
release of prisoners into the parole system. Due to the rate at which convicts are being
sentenced/sent to prison and the over crowded prison facilities themselves are now being forced
to release more inmates (felons) on early release to meet “budget limits and population caps”
(Kleinman 2008). Aside from the concern that a large population of felons will be regularly re-
released into our communities with little rehabilitation, is the fact that they are virtually “cut loose”
into civilian life under very poor conditions. Many continue to suffer from untreated drug/alcohol
addictions, mental health issues, and/or medical ailments. Housing is a major concern upon
release from prison where a large amount of released prisoners often find themselves homeless
or in shelters pending they have begun living on the streets for a minimum of one night.
Employment is an extremely difficult undertaking as ex-cons are deemed the undesirables in the
employment pool and without proper job skills they are bottom of the barrel employees offered
poor pay and job opportunities. With all of these factors it is not too surprising to find that
oftentimes about two thirds of these parolees find themselves back in prison within a three year
period (Kleinman 2008). This comes at a bit of a surprise giving the data that crime rates are on
the decline since the 1990’s yet rates of incarceration continue to grow at a rate of roughly 3%
annually. This problem could be successfully remedied by a more effective parole system and
various other post-incarceration programs/supervision.
Aside from from the poor post incarceration living conditions that parolees face are the
failures of the parole system as an acting part of the broader criminal justice system. Often times
probation officers and parole officers are overwhelmed with, at times, hundreds of caseloads
making it impossible to effectively provide adequate supervision. Let alone punishment for minor
parole violations such as missed appointments or dirty UAs. Even when these minor violations
are identified it can take weeks to months to receive appropriate attention and disciplinary
action. These violations often receive severe punishments such as months or even years of
incarceration. In cases where paroles just simply walk away and abandon the terms of their
parole little is done to remedy the situation other than issuing a bench warrant. So what is the
solution? “Using scarce punishment capacity more economically by stressing certainty over
severity, increasing its efficacy by shortening the time between violation and response, and
directly communicating the deterrent threat (and its concentration) to potential violators can all
tend to reduce the critical value of sanctions capacity and minimize the cost of moving from high
violation, low punishment risk, to low violation, high punishment risk” (Kleinman 2008).
There have been a few different programs that were implemented with high success rates
and would act as a baseline paradigm for the parole system to work off of and improve upon for
future caseloads. The first program was started in Hawaii, Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with
Enforcement (HOPE). Much like many parole programs around the US Hawaii’s parole system
was plagued with overwhelming caseloads and high rates of parole violations (dirty drug tests,
missed appointments, noncompliance with treatment programs, etc). There was a deficit of
punishment and staff available to impose/monitor such punishments to the parolees. It was at this
point that the experimental HOPE program was set into play. A select group of high risk parolees
were gathered and through a court proceedings dubbed a “warning hearing” they were informed
that for every missed appointment or dirty drug test they would be immediately jailed for days
upto weeks. Through some modifications to the violations reporting form made it easy for the
parole officers to take a parolee who tested dirty in the morning and have them in jail in the
evening; thus providing immediate punishment for undesirable or noncompliant behavior. If this
behavior continued the sentencing would be extended and eventually a rehabilitation program
alternative would be offered (Kleinman 2008). Parolees would call every day to a HOPE hotline to
determine when they would be tested and pending high compliance to the program fewer
testing days would be offered (on the stipulation no dirty test had been received). This program
proved to be extremely effective with a 90% compliance rate over a 3 month testing period.
Since the experimental program was conducted Hawaii has fully implemented HOPE as an
available program to parolees who qualify which is wildly beneficial as it only costs roughly $1000
annually per ex-con.
Programs like HOPE have laid the groundwork for some major improvements to the
Parole system but another aspect that requires attention is the focus on rehabilitation while
incarcerated. It has been proven that rehabilitation programs reduce recidivism when the
programs “incorporate proven principles and are targeted to specific offenders” (Petersilia 2011).
Simply convicts who earn a high school equivalency diploma, receive vocational skills training,
and participate in intensive drug treatment programs in prison are less likely to have higher rates
of success upon their release. These programs help to reduce rates of recidivism possibly by 15
to 20 percent. “To put it in concrete terms: About 495,000 of the 750,000 prisoners who will be
released this year are likely to be rearrested within three years. With effective programs, we
could reduce the number of repeat offenders by nearly 100,000” (Petersilia 2011). This high
success rate married with improved post-incarceration programs could lend itself to resolving the
US crisis of overcrowding prison facilities and high rates of recidivism.

Bibliography
1. Petersilia, Joan. "Beyond the Prison Bubble." National Institute of Justice. National
Institute of Justice, 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
2. Kleiman, Mark A. R., and Angela Hawken. "Fixing the Parole System." Issues in Science
and Technology 24, no. 4 (Summer 2008).
3. Rosen, Jeffery. "Prisoners of Parole." The New York Times Magazine. The New York
Times Magazine, 08 Jan. 2010. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.