One Woman, Three Prisons: The Rise Within the Ranks June 1966 -June 2000: Volume 1 - Softcover

Mertens, Jo Ann M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1480230626 ISBN 13: 9781480230620

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013

Synopsis

SEE NEW DEVELOLPMENT AT BOTTOM OF THIS DESCRITION. The title describes the book well--the rise through the ranks in a non-traditional field was in three different prisons in the state of Missouri. The old tall building on the front is Missouri State Penitentiary (MSP) where the story began. The fence and the red building are of Centeral Missouri Correctional Center (CMCC) from which the author retired. The back picture is one of the author's beloved Renz Correctional Center (RCC). The cover contains a picture of the author taken twenty years ago when all was good in corrections. The cover tells the story quickly but the book very clearly describes the rise through the ranks. It has many inmate and staff stories to give more insight to the reader about working in a prison system. Those who think they are not interested in the content will be very surprised to find a complelling and somewhat controversial story inside a world many people have not seen. For those who have hit the glass ceiling, it will be confirmation that they are not alone. It will also show the stigma of being a single mother is not one you have to live with. There are many barriers broken in the story both professional and personal. It shows the discrimination of the 1960's and 1970's and how our country has made strides. The book is different from many books being written. It is not fiction. It is not a personal biography although personal events are placed in the book. It tells things that society would rather not acknowledge. It is also the personal stuggle of one woman who loved the field of criminal justice and wanted to promote as far as possible. The book is not the end of the story of the author's career. In the last chapter of the book, the author is working in Virginia. My position as reentry coordinator went full time on 10/1/2013. I have some physical problems which makes my doctor feel I cannot work 40 hours per week. My employer here in VA would not find work for me although it has be

About this title

About the Author:

No category is right for this book. This is a work biography in the criminal justice field. The author was raised in a rural community in Missouri. She entered the criminal justice field (non-traditional) because she was a single mother, She could not raise her son working the traditional jobs for women. She did not want any assistance from the government. She started this career with less than adequate education by today's standards and excelled. She attended a historically black college on a LEEP grant for law enforcement. The author developed a passion for this career soon after she started in corrections. She made choices which helped her rise through the ranks in a male-dominated work environment. She did eventually hit the glass ceiling. She is still struggling with retirement and the loss of her career. The author is a one time writer. She wanted to tell her story so society would realize the struggles of women in non-traditional fields. She also wanted to validate her accomplishments in a world where people are quickly forgotten. Her love for corrections and criminal justice caused her to write a story which was different from many books being published. The author has devoted much of her life to the field but also is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She loves to listen and dance to good music especially 70's funk. The beach including good musical performances is her passion in the summer in Virginia. The author is also a yard sale addict. She also loves consignment stores and finding unusual things or bargains. She is an ordinary woman who has worked in a world many people will never know. She loves telling the stories with other corrections workers and her family. Her family is her greatest blessing among many other blessings from God. She is now not content with retirement and longs to be back in the field.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1480230626
• ISBN 13: 9781480230620
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 142