Exploring and Understanding Careers in Criminal Justice

Matthew J. Sheridan, EdD, has more than 35 years of experience with the New Jersey Departments of Corrections, Human Services, and Law and Public Safety. He currently teaches Criminal Justice at Georgian Court University and is the director of the Internship Program. He has more than 20 years of experience teaching Corrections, Criminology, and Criminal Justice.Raymond R. Rainville, PhD, is currently Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at St. Peters University. He retired from probation services after 33 years. Rainville combines his professional experience with his duties at the university to guide students to select appropriate majors that meet with their personal goals; guiding them through the job selection and application process.

• AcknowledgementsPrefaceChapter One – Introduction: Why Another Book on Criminal Justice Careers Chapter Two – Exploring careers in Criminal Justice Chapter Three - Careers in Law Enforcement Chapter Four - Careers in Corrections Chapter Five - The Courts, its Actors and its Functions Chapter Six - The Federal Government Chapter Seven - Getting the Job, Entering the Field and Advancement Chapter Eight - Criminal Justice Ethics Chapter Nine - Life After the Career or “I Can’t live on That!” List of AppendicesDirectory of Profiles in Criminal Justice Interest, Inquiry and Cover LettersA Guide to Interview QuestionsSample Resume and CVEleven Important Steps to Prepare for the Career FairThe Benefits and Downsides of On-line LearningDocument Portfolio ChecklistCivil Service Examinations (includes Prep Manuals)U.S. Federal Law Enforcement Agencies and WebsitesImportant WebsitesCriminal Justice Jobs and Job definitions Private and Non-Profit Agencies and Professional OrganizationsVermont Police Academy Basic Training & Physical Fitness TrainingPaying for collegeCriminal Justice and Trade Publications Codes of Ethics Subjects Index Names Index Bibliography and Recommended Readings

Sheridan and Rainville use their extensive experience (over 30 years each) to write an exceptional work on careers within criminal justice. Five chapters provide invaluable information on choosing a career in federal, state, or local law enforcement, corrections, or courts. Three additional chapters cover getting the job, maintaining professional ethics, and life after one's career ends. The chapter on law enforcement, for example, has subsections on job postings, applications and portfolios, education, job references, interviewing, test taking, academy training, job benefits, multiculturalism on the job, and other useful information. Sixteen appendixes cover a multitude of topics, including successful job hunting, a guide to interview questions, criminal justice ethics, a document portfolio checklist, and paying for college. One appendix even offers profiles of 16 career employees—actual people holding jobs in criminal justice fields as diverse as parole officer or correctional architect. Notes, bibliography, recommended readings, and two indexes provide additional orientation to readers. An excellent source for students, faculty, and advisors, this volume offers much more than comparable works that deal merely with getting a job. Instead, the authors tell how to build a successful criminal justice career that one will love, from first employment to retirement.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.