Pursuing and Navigating a Career in Criminal Justice

Pursuing and Navigating a Career in Criminal Justice is a practical, "must-have" book for those considering a career in criminal justice as well as providing helpful advice and guidance to those already working in the profession who may be confronted with the widely unaddressed realities associated with burnout, suicidal thoughts, posttraumatic stress disorder, poor coping mechanisms, and a withering ability to continue effectively safeguarding our physical and emotional wellbeing. More specifically, this book provides "real-life" guidance and insight into pursuing a career in criminal justice along with successfully navigating the foreseen and unforeseen challenges of working with today's criminal offenders, crime victims, citizens, colleagues, administrators, and the media. It is undeniably one of the most comprehensive books available authored by Dr. Michael Pittaro, a highly respected criminal justice professor with nearly 40 years of field, supervisory, teaching, and training experience, including serving internationally as a highly sought after out subject matter expert. Dr. Pittaro takes readers on an insightful journey working alongside criminal offenders with extensive histories of addiction, mental illness, sexual deviance, and a host of reprehensible acts of violence. Having always been fascinated with understanding the "why" to so many questions about crime, criminality, and victimization, Dr. Pittaro chose to pursue a career in higher education to provide answers to those questions. He has helped thousands of undergraduate students pursue their dream careers by taking on a no holds-barred approach to teaching by "keeping it real" in explaining the pros and cons of working within this profession. Dr. Pittaro strongly believes that teaching and training should not rely exclusively on research but also augmented with real-life experiences from those who work or have worked in criminal justice. This book is intended provide you with what you need to enter the criminal justice workforce with an emphasis on the so-called "soft skills" to not only excel and move up through the ranks, but also help in understanding and explaining what you must do to survive (literally and metaphorically) in a profession that can quite demanding and dangerous. Each chapter includes valuable input from Dr. Pittaro along with advice and guidance from well-respected criminal justice professionals working in law enforcement, corrections, probation, parole, and other public safety professions based on the lessons they learned in their careers. The passages within each chapter are filled with "real-talk" from those who have "walked the walk" working the frontlines along with indispensable constructive advice and guidance from today's criminal justice leaders.