The program focuses on preparing students for a career in law enforcement and related fields, such as with the courts or private security, by providing rigorous coursework, hands-on lessons and demonstrations, and the practical application of the professional experiences of the faculty.
100% of our faculty are industry leaders in the criminal justice field.
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Official 3+1 Program
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Rizzo has been with RCBC as a full-time instructor since September 2016. Joe is currently the Coordinator for the Criminal Justice program. He teaches CRJ 101-Introduction to Criminal Justice, CRJ 106-Introduction to Corrections, CRJ 111-Criminal Law, CRJ 207-Community Corrections, and CRJ 310-Theories of Crime (3+1 Program Course).
Rizzo is a retired NJ Department of Corrections Prison Administrator. Joe began his career as a teacher with New Jersey public schools for 7 years before working as an educator with the Department of Corrections. He spent 26 years with the Department, beginning in 1981 as a teacher and rising through the ranks as an Education Director and then as Assistant Superintendent. In 2000, Joe was appointed as the Administrator of the Mountainview Youth Correctional Facility, where he served for 5 years before finishing his career at the Central Reception and Assignment Facility in Trenton in 2007.
Rizzo served as a consultant from 2007-2013 with The Kintock Group, a private Community Corrections company and Urban Renewal Corporation located in Newark New Jersey. He has taught as an adjunct professor from 2009 to 2016 at Burlington County College, Mercer County Community College, Brookdale Community College, Rowan University, and Kean University teaching various Criminal Justice classes. Since 2017, Joe has served as an auditor and executive board member for the American Correctional Association (ACA). Mr. Rizzo also serves on the Law and Public Safety Advisory Board at Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT).
Rizzo earned his BA from Glassboro State College (Rowan University) and his MA from Trenton State College (The College of New Jersey).
Rizzo received the prestigious Professor of the Year award for 2020! He can be reached at 856-222-9311 ext 2343 or at jrizzo@rcbc.edu
Dr. Ciccanti has been with RCBC since 2004 and has served as an adjunct instructor, course designer and currently, as full-time faculty. Dr. Ciccanti primarily teaches the introductory course, policing, investigations, private security, forensic science, and the junior-level drugs & crime. Dr. Ciccanti was awarded the prestigious Linback Distinguished Teaching Award in 2023.
Dr. Ciccanti began her career by working in private security, first as an investigator with the Six Flags company and then as a security officer with a private security agency in Tennessee. She next obtained a position with the University of Tennessee Police Department as a police dispatcher and as a campus security officer. Later, she realized her dream of becoming a police officer, when she was hired by the Willingboro Police Department. There she served as a patrol officer for over seven years, a detective for over twelve years, and as a patrol sergeant until her retirement.
Some of her career highlights include receiving a Lifesaving award, being named Detective of the Year four times, clearing two homicide cases by arrest and conviction as the lead detective, carrying a fellow officer to safety who had been shot during an armed robbery, and helping to recover a kidnaped child, who was missing for over six years. The Lifetime movie “Little Girl Lost; The Delimar Vera Story” is loosely based on that case. Additionally, she taught tactical handcuffing and unarmed self-defense at multiple police academies in New Jersey for over 18 years.
Educationally, Doctor Ciccanti has earned several degrees, including an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Rowan College at Burlington County, a Bachelor’s Degree in Law & Justice from Rowan University, a Master’s Degree in Criminology from Saint Joseph’s University and finally, a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in the Criminal Justice System from Northcentral University. Dr. Ciccanti is a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma and Delta Mu Delta Honor Societies.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Ciccanti serves on the Criminal Justice Advisory Board for the Burlington County Institute of Technology (BCIT), has provided school safety expertise to several school districts, serves on a local school board, and is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
Dr. Ciccanti can be reached at 856-222-9311 ext. 2594 or at aciccanti@rcbc.edu
Students who have graduated with an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice from RCBC have obtained employment in several areas of public safety and some have attended law school. Some examples include:
Local/Municipal/City/County Police Agencies: Bordentown Township Police Department / Burlington County Sheriff's Department / Burlington Township Police Department / Camden County Police Department-Metro Division / Cherry Hill Police Department / Chesterfield Police Department / City of Burlington Police Department / Delran Police Department / Edgewater Park Police Department / Evesham Police Department / Mount Holly Police Department / Mount Laurel Police Department / Riverside Police Department / Willingboro Police Department
New Jersey State Police / Law Enforcement Agencies: Attorney General's Office / New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife / New Jersey State Police / New Jersey Transit Police
Out of State Police Agencies: Carrollton County Sheriff’s office (Oh) / Metropolitan Police Department (Washington D.C.) / Reno Police Department (NV) / Wausau County Police Department (WI)
Federal Law Enforcement Agencies: Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) / Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) / United States Supreme Court Police
State/County Corrections: New Jersey Department of Corrections / Burlington County Department of Corrections / Camden County Department of Corrections
Out of State Corrections: Bucks County Department of Corrections /
Parole/Probation: Burlington County Department of Probation / New Jersey State Parole Board
College/University Public Safety or Police: Rowan College at Burlington County Department of Public Safety / The College of New Jersey Department of Public Safety
Law Schools: Rutgers University Law School / Widener University Law School
