Will my unpaid internship be worth it in the end?

I’m getting my BA in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. I’m interested in maybe going into Probation/Parole to start and then move up from there.

I’m about to start my Junior year in college and I found an internship at the local Department of Probation and Parole. The unfortunate thing is that I’m not getting college credit AND it’s unpaid. So, I’m basically a volunteer. I work 40 hours per week and I’ve taken over a vacant caseload of over 175 offenders.

I could have tried to get a paid internship, but they are few and far between around here, especially in the CJ field, and since I’m interested specifically in probation, I’m hoping this will get me somewhere eventually. I’m doing this all summer and my husband is supporting me.

Smart? Crazy? Stupid?