The Scholar- Practitioner
Criminal Justice Author, Speaker, Subject Matter Expert
Dr. Mike Pittaro
What It Means to Serve as a Scholar‑Practitioner
As a scholar‑practitioner, I have the privilege of contributing to the corrections profession from two interconnected vantage points: practitioner leadership and academic scholarship. This dual role allows me to bridge theory and practice in ways that strengthen both the field and the students preparing to enter it.
In my practitioner capacity, I serve as the Product Manager for Guardian RFID’s Academy Unlimited, a virtual learning environment that delivers online, self‑paced training for corrections professionals nationwide. Academy Unlimited is designed to build expert competency with GUARDIAN RFID products and solutions through high‑quality, instructor‑led lessons. In this role, I work directly with Academy trainers, frontline staff, and agency leaders to ensure that our training content is practical, relevant, and aligned with the real operational needs of correctional facilities. It keeps me grounded in the day‑to‑day realities of the profession—its challenges, innovations, and evolving expectations.
At the same time, I serve as a corrections scholar with American Military University, where I teach criminal justice courses and mentor the next generation of practitioners and leaders. My academic work is informed by decades of operational experience, allowing me to bring real‑world context to the classroom. I view myself as a transformational leader in this space—someone who inspires students to exceed their own expectations, embrace a strong work ethic, and pursue a career grounded in ethical decision‑making and service.
Being a scholar‑practitioner means I never separate the two worlds. My practitioner work enriches my teaching, giving students access to current trends, practical insights, and lived experience. My academic work, in turn, strengthens my practitioner role by grounding decisions in research, evidence‑based practice, and a deep understanding of leadership principles shaped by my graduate training in public administration.
Ultimately, serving as a scholar‑practitioner allows me to contribute to the corrections profession in a holistic way—supporting today’s workforce through innovative training while preparing tomorrow’s leaders through rigorous, experience‑driven education.
Other Publications
Global Perspectives on Reforming the Criminal Justice System
Global Perspectives on Reforming the Criminal Justice System provides in-depth and current research about the criminal justice system around the world, its many inadequacies, and why it urgently needs reformation. Offering a fully fleshed outline of the current system, this book details the newest research and is incredibly important to fully understand the flaws of the criminal justice system across the globe. The goals of this book are to improve and advance the criminal justice system by addressing the glaring weaknesses within the system and discuss potential reforms including decreasing the prison population (decarceration) and improving police/community relations. Highlighting topics that include accountability, community-oriented policing, ethics, and mass incarceration, this book is ideal for law enforcement officers, trainers/educators, government officials, policymakers, correctional officers, court officials, professionals, researchers, academicians, and students in the fields of criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology, addictions, mental health, social work, public policy, and public administration.
The many academic areas covered in this publication include, but are not limited to:
- Accountability
- Body Cameras
- Community Relationships
- Community vs. Institutional Corrections
- Community-Oriented Policing
- Correctional Reform
- Ethics
- Mass Incarceration
- Perceptions of Law Enforcement
- Police Misconduct
- Police Reform
- Policing Strategies
- Procedural Justice
- Recidivism
- Rehabilitation
- School-to-Prison Pipeline
- Transformative Justice Resolution
- Use of Force
Crimes of the Internet
This book contains 31 original scholarly articles on all aspects of cybercrime—from emerging global crimes of the Internet, to criminological perspectives on cybercrime to investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes. Offering a collection of previously unpublished works, this book examines emerging global crimes, challenges faced by law enforcement, and the underlying reasons for the rise in such activities. Through a variety of essays, it explores the role of the cybercriminal, the victim, and the cybercriminal’s impact on the criminal justice system.
Criminal Justice Study Guide
An entire Introduction to Criminal Justice Course in 6 laminated pages. A step-by-step outline of the U.S. system for investigating & prosecuting criminal offenses – from arrest to disposition.
Criminology Quick Study Guide
Perfect for students studying criminology. The guide examines, in detail, the many experts and their theories that have made criminology a prominent field of study. Color-coded sections and up-to-date information make learning about this subject a breeze!
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.
– Martin Luther King
At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.
– Aristotle
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.
– Frederick Douglas
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