LaVarr W. McBride, instructor in administration of justice at Penn State Beaver, has co-authored a book, “Through a Convict’s Eyes: An Overlooked View of the Criminal Justice System” with Eric Wicklund, a convicted felon. McBride also teaches at Penn State Shenango and Penn State New Kensington.
Published by Kendall Hunt Publishing Co., the book explores the lives of former prisoners, including Wicklund, who have worked to put their criminal past behind them in order to re-join society as productive citizens and employees. McBride has worked in the criminal justice field for 29 years, including time as a corrections officer at Utah State Prison in medium and maximum security, including death row. He became a state parole officer before transferring to the federal system as a senior U.S. probation officer, which is when he met Wicklund. McBride also spent eight years working for the administrative office of the U.S. Court in Washington, D.C.
McBride holds a master’s degree in public administration, sociology and economics from Utah State University, and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Weber State University. He can be contacted at lwm13@psu.edu or 724-773-3866.