Mentoring in the Criminal Justice Professions: Conveyance of the Craft

The tradition of moving from one job to another in the criminal justice profession with the belief that on departure a new person will be brought in to assume the duties of his or her predecessor is archaic and ineffective. It is rare to replace someone and have the benefit of his or her counsel and experience in learning the nuances of the job and its responsibilities. Mentoring provides a framework, whether informal or formal, to interact, support, transfer knowledge, and guide the to the desired goal. This book provides a blueprint of mentoring theory and practice, testing, evaluation, research, and a knowledge of what works and what does not that will strengthen both the employee and the employer far beyond most other types of training and development that are offered. Methods to develop mentoring programs and systems in the varied criminal justice professions of law enforcement, corrections, probation, and parole environments are discussed, including the groundwork for a sustainable program of mentorship. Filled with comprehensive and critical information, this text provides personal examples of successful mentoring and exercises to bring the concept to practice and thereby assist with the transfer of learning. Precepts are presented, which involves the positive and negative aspects of mentoring, and the insight to prevent loss of valuable knowledge and experience that transitions out the door when it is most needed. This book is a must read by all who seek and receive promotions and those who hold positions of trust and responsibility in an organization.