Book Reviews
| Author | Jake Phillips, Anne Robinson |
THE ROUTLEDGE GUIDE TO WORKING IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Ester Ragonese, Anne Rees, Jo Ives and Terry Dray (2015). Oxon: Routledge. pp332 (hbk) £90. ISBN 978-0-415-81071-5
A dedicated book on careers and employability in criminal justice is overdue and a significant challenge, considering the number of changes in the sector over the past few years and it's continued uncertainty. This well-structured book offers an insight into working in a variety of criminal justice agencies, alongside invaluable career management advice.
This is an ideal text for anyone considering working in the criminal justice sector. The pre-entry advice regarding deciding on higher education routes, and the alternative options (apprenticeships and direct entry are both covered), make this a particularly valuable resource for post-16 transitions for students, teachers, and advisers. The tailored advice for mature students is welcome and there is also very useful information encouraging professional development in work. The guide manages to be comprehensive and realistic, but also inclusive and encouraging. This contributes to a book that should appeal to a wide audience of readers.
Each chapter is well structured making the book ideal for reading in small sections, or for those looking for information on a specific career idea. There are dedicated chapters on the probation service, Police, prisons, the courts, and youth justice, with exhaustive information on the various employment areas within those agencies. Of particular note is the depth of research on each area; organisational information for all jurisdictions in the UK is incorporated and includes values, mission statements and key facts. The perspectives of existing students and professionals are quoted throughout, giving the text the authoritative voice of experience. The book also includes reflection and action points throughout to encourage readers to engage beyond the text. Each chapter outlines specific objectives and includes an excellent summary of content covered, top tips, helpful websites and further reading. As mentioned earlier, the criminal justice sector has undergone major change in the past few years and a downside to including further resources in a book about employability brings with it the danger of those resources going out of date rather quickly.
Chapter four presents some key introductory concepts about becoming more employable. Particularly useful is the inclusion of information about ideas inexperienced readers may not have considered before. There is good advice about demonstrating motivation and commitment, encouraging readers to explore their own interests and explore extra-curricular activities. The hidden jobs market is addressed and comes with some very useful ideas about increasing professional networks. Sector-specific concerns are addressed, such as resilience and its importance when working with vulnerable clients. The authors also encourage the reader to seriously contemplate whether they are motivated towards a career in public service, with realistic information about the sector and some of the practical considerations of working in public service like salary, leave entitlement and job security.
The book concentrates heavily on skills, in line with most employability advice in higher education, and although there is a very comprehensive section in the introduction about how to develop sector-specific skills and how to find voluntary opportunities, ideas about particular activities and volunteering could have been conveyed through the whole book and matched to job areas. I am very pleased to see that reflection about one's values and abilities - a crucial but sometimes ignored process in career management - is encouraged throughout the guide.
Information alone is not adequate for effective career development and career theory promotes the importance of taking action as a means for exploration. Within this book there are suggested 'action points' throughout each chapter. These are frequent and detailed and they include; suggesting websites to visit, encouraging the reader to consider their skills in relevance to the particular job discussed, promoting reflection on the information the book contains, and even suggested activities through social media.
Reflection is also encouraged throughout the text in manageable segments. They are highlighted and boxed throughout, and encourage consideration of a variety of important factors such as; values, abilities, work tasks and pragmatic questions. The reflective tasks are achievable and shouldn't cause a post-16 student any difficulties. However, consultation with advisers, teachers, or mentors could have been promoted more, especially since the included testimonies from current students and professionals make such a meaningful contribution to the text.
Overall, this book is a fantastic resource for students, advisers and teachers. The authors have made...
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