referencebooks

National Jail and Adult Detention Directory, Tenth Edition (2005-2007)

Authored and published by the American Correctional Association, 2005

This is a 6" by 9" paperback running to a total of 503 pages including numerous advertisements and a section at the end about the American Correctional Association. There is no separate preferatory section; the brief introduction and user's guide are in the regular sequence of pages.

Jails are not known as the most "open" institutions in society, so it is not surprising that the information given about jails in this directory is on the sparse side.

Following a general section that talks about organizational characteristics of jails nationwide, the directory portion of the book, which comprises most of it, goes state by state and county by county, providing contact information for the nation's jails, including their addresses and the names of the persons in charge, and sometimes a little more. Prisons are not included, just jails and "adult detention centers," which are like jails in that they are at the county and city level, but different in that they are only for convicts, and not for people awaiting trial. U.S. territories, like Puerto Rico and Guam, are not included, and neither is that most-talked-about detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, nor are other military detention centers. The book is limited to civilian jails and detention centers in the 50 states.

The additional information provided for some facilities includes capcity, dates of opening and renovation, the purpose of the facility (kind of inmate housed), jurisdiction, population, size of staff, and rehabilitation programs offered.

This is a decent and unique directory.

The Librarian's Guide to Public Records 1998

By the Public Records Research Library

Published by BRB Publications, Inc., 1998

This is a 7" by 10" paperback running to 554 pages.

What this book is is a directory of locations of public records "at over 11,500 major Federal, State and County public record locations." The introduction defines "public records" as:

...records of incidents or actions filed or recorded with a government agency for the purpose of notifying others about the matter - the "public." The deed to your house recorded at the county recorder's office is a public record - it is a legal requirement that you record it with the county recorder. Anyone requiring details about your property may review or copy the documents.

Public records are distinguished from public information, like telephone listings, which are furnished freely rather than required to be made public, and personal information, which is usually considered private or confidential.

The book lists locations of public records and public information by state. The introduction describes twenty-three categories of public information and public records, but these categories aren't used in organizing the information on locations of records. Much of the information in these twenty-three categories is stuff that most people ordinarily consider private, but which is shared so often that it becomes public information and possible to access if you have the right resources (like this book). Privacy laws as well as laws requiring records to be public vary from state to state.

The information provided for each state is very nuts and bolts and includes little more than contact information; there's very little guidance about how to search for records and what types of records have what types of information. The book really is a simple directory for librarians who already know what they are doing, rather than a guide to public records. As far as that goes, though, it is an impressive compilation and very useful, probably essential. A must-have for a library reference collection.

Encyclopedia of Prisons and Correctional Facilities

Edited by Mary Bosworth.

Published by Sage, 2005.

This is work in two 8.5" by 11" volumes, totalling 1334 pages including a lengthy appendix on Federal prison system instititions and the lengthy bibliography and index, plus a list of entries, reader's guide, list of sidebars, list of contributors, chronology, introduction, acknowledgments, and a note about the editor. The type is fairly large.

This is a very comprehensive encyclopedia of prisons in the United States (a limitation of scope which the title ought to state).

For an idea of what's included, here is a list of all of the entries in the "F" sequence:

• Faith-Based Initiatives
  
• Families Against Mandatory Minimums
  
• Fathers in Prison
  
• Federal Prison Industries. See UNICOR
  
• Federal Prison System
  
• Felon Disenfranchisement
  
• Fine
  
• First Amendment
  
• Flogging
  
• Flynn, Elizabeth Gurley (1890-1964)
  
• Food
  
• Foreign Nationals
  
• Foster Care
  
• Foucault, Michel (1926-1984)
  
• Fourteenth Amendment
  
• Fourth Amendment
  
• Framingham, MCI (Massachusetts Correctional Institution)
  
• Freedom of Information Act
  
• Fry, Elizabeth
  
• Furlough
  Furman v. Georgia
  

Most of the entries listed above are more than two pages long; the longest is seven. The articles are clearly written and informative, and don't require any special background knowledge. While factually objective, the orientation is slightly on the socially critical side; more of the individuals rating full entries are important critics of the prison system than founders or innovators or leaders within existing prison institutions. This is not a problem but a thing to be aware of.

This is a high-quality, thorough and comprehensive reference work, useful to anyone who needs information about the U.S. prison system.

Career Opportunities in Politics, Government, and Activism

By Joan Axelrod-Contrada.

Published by Ferguson, an imprint of Facts On File, 2003.

This is an 8.5" by 11" hardback book running to 274 pages including the appendices and index, plus 14 pages of preferatory material.

The front matter includes a preface by John Kerry, a discussion of the "industry outlook," an acknowledgements section and an introduction called "How to use this book," which begins, "Welcome to a world of possibilities. Whether you dream of running for political office, planning cities, monitoring legislation, fighting for a cause, or joining the Peace Corps, this book should help you get started."

The book is organized into three major categories, and talks about job opportunities in each. The categories are Politics, Government, and Activism. The Politics section has subsections for Political Campaigns (including such careers as Pollster, Political Consultant, and Political Party Staffer) and Political Office (including things like School Board member, City Councilor, Mayor, Governor and President of the United States). The Government section has subsections on Local/State -- General Positions (including such things as Management Analyst and Public Information Officer); Local Government (including things like Recreation Supervisor, Urban and Regional Planner, Municipal Clerk and Election Official); Local/State Specialists (including Environmental Specialist, Victim Advocate, Auditor, Ethics Investigator, and Antidiscrimination Worker); State/Federal Legislative Staff (including things like Congressional Page, Legislative Assistant, and Research Analyst); Other State/Federal Positions (like Paralegal, Policy Analyst, and Speechwriter); and International Affairs (like Foreign Service Officer and Intelligence Operative). The Activism section has jobs that are not within government but nevertheless interact with government in some way. The sections are Nonprofit Advocacy and Administration (including such jobs as Program Director, Fundraiser and Director of Volunteers); Public Interest (including Canvasser, Environmental Activist, Consumer Activist, Government Reform Activist, and Public Interest Lawyer); Community, Social and International Issues (including Community Organizer, Women's Rights Activist, Peace Worker, and Conflict Resolution Specialist); Lobbies, Unions and Associations (including things like Lobbyist, Labor Union Organizer, and Association Membership Director); and Service Programs (including Peace Corps and Americorps Volunteer).

There are ten Appendices, and many of those have several parts. These cover pay scales, organizational charts of government agencies, graduate school programs, advocacy groups of different types, trade publications, a guide to running for political office, and other useful information.

Each job profile begins with a chart showing the main duties, alternate titles, salary ranges, employment prospects, and educational requirements. A "career ladder" diagram shows a typical career path from the entry level to the top. This is followed by a factual description of the position that talks about a typical day on the job, the types of projects handled, and a bulleted list of typical responsibilities. Relevant professional associations and unions are also listed. The job entries finish with a section of tips for gaining employment in that job.

This is an extremely practical and useful book for someone wanting to start a career in government or advocacy.

It is an interesting strength of the book that advocacy work is presented as part of the overal world of government and politics and not as something that belongs in a different reference work.