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.
— CHOICE
Written by two people with extensive experience as practitioners in the criminal justice system and academics in college-level programs, this book is intended for use as a text in courses about jobs in the criminal justice profession but also as a reference for criminal justice program administrators as they guide undergraduates through their programs. . . .The index is particularly helpful for someone who wants to look up a specific topic like the CIA or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as subjects like stress and tuition. . . . This practical guide to criminal justice careers is recommended for high school or college career counseling centers; high school, college, and public libraries; and for criminal justice practitioners or professors.
— American Reference Books Annual
This book is an important tool for criminal justice students to help them prepare for their careers. The career profiles present roadmaps for success.
— James Kenny, professor, Fairleigh Dickinson University
The most comprehensive career guide I've found during my 35 years working in the criminal justice system. The authors provide everything you could ever want to know about career opportunities within the criminal justice system in this very instructive, useful, and thought-provoking analysis. A must-read for everyone interested in life-changing career opportunities.
— Robert A. Hood, MEd, Warden (Ret.), United States "Supermax" Penitentiary, CO
In Exploring and Understanding Careers in Criminal Justice Rainville and Sheridan have compiled a comprehensive compendium of indispensable information on criminal justice careers. They provide information on choosing careers, how to prepare for your career, how to network, and throughout they use profiles of real criminal justice professionals to show the pathways and diversity of employment opportunities for students in criminal justice. This book is essential reading for students and advisors, and for any professor who has ever been asked, "so what job can I get with this degree?".
— Patrick J. Carr, Associate Professor; Director, Program in Criminal Justice, Rutgers University
A very student-friendly comprehensive manual with tools and information for those planning a career in the criminal justice field...empowering.
— Charley B. Flint, Ph.D, Professor, William Paterson University
I found the book to be an extraordinary compendium of not only careers in the field of corrections, but also a rather comprehensive explanation of the field of Corrections from arrest to reintegration and aftercare. Each of the career tracks discussed (Corrections; Law enforcement; the Courts) is well researched, practical and understandable. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on “How to" get a job in the field, with my favorite being “Criminal Justice Ethics”. This book is an amazing accomplishment and should become a “must read” for anyone considering a career in any aspect of the Criminal Justice system.
— Dan Lombardo, President and CEO, Volunteers of America Delaware Valley
I was delighted to read this book; it brings a certain amount of enlightening to criminal justice students. I, personally, have dealt with some of the questions addressed by Raymond and Matthew. It's about time a text of this nature is published to complement criminal justice texts out there. Both Raymond and Matthew have addresses the numerous inquiries that faculty members experience from students wanting to know about careers in criminal justice. The text is well arranged by identifying all the aspects of careers in criminal justice. The past practical experience of both authors has provided insight information only available by practitioners. Additionally, the text is well-researched and know that no stone was left unturned. I like it very much, I've used similar texts in the past but none can't compete with this one. I look forward to using it in my criminal justice classes, especially in my Introduction to Criminal Justice, American Policing, Corrections, Criminalistics, and Criminology classes. I commend both authors for a job well-done.
— Rafael Rojas Jr., PhD, Justice Studies Department, Southern New Hampshire University; co-chair, University Curriculum Committee; chair, SAS Curriculum Committee
Professors Rainville and Sheridan have organized and presented perhaps the most comprehensive description of information pertaining to the hiring process, career advancement, and even retirement preparation as it relates to federal, state and local, public and private, and civilian and sworn positions in law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and social services. Such a scholarly work offers priceless information not found in other books or websites.
— Cavit S. Cooley, Professor and Coordinator of the Criminal Justice Program, Mercer County Community College, Trenton, NJ ; Past President, New Jersey Association of Criminal Justice Educators
When I consider a book for course adoption I look at the credentials of the authors/editors, timeliness of the topics included, and appropriateness of the depth of material for the class level. Although there sometimes seems to be a near endless supply of career oriented books, this one stands out. Matthew and Raymond capture and synthesize that which every criminal justice student should consider as they simultaneously learn about the field academically of and also plan for employment. This book is comprehensive and readable. It should prove useful as a reference item throughout the students' college career and beyond.
— Robert J. Louden, PhD, Commander of Detectives and Chief Hostage Negotiator, NYPD (retired); Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice, Georgian Court University
Are you considering a career in criminal justice? Then this is the book you need. Written by two authors, each with over 30 years working and teaching in the field, this book covers it all: including many topics in detail that open the door to careers in law enforcement, courts, and corrections. They cover using higher education to prepare for careers, the job search, resumes, interviewing, as well as ethics, retirement, and career transitions. The book is written in a no nonsense style, and can serve as a handbook for planning a career. Begin reading where you please, depending upon whether you a criminal justice student or already employed in the field. The authors share their enthusiasm for higher education as well as public service. They especially want the reader to use their insight to explore how they might have a meaningful career that contributes to a better society
— Stephen C. Richards, Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; author of The Marion Experiment
I recommend this book highly for anyone working in, or hoping to work in, the criminal justice system. The volume provides thoughtful guidance on career development, is written in clear and engaging prose, and is remarkably comprehensive. It's a source book the criminal justice professional will want to have on his or her bookshelf.
— Robert Johnson, Professor of Justice, Law and Criminology, American University