Newjack Guarding Sing Sing

Rating:
Summary: As seen from the other side
Review: Conover does an excellent job of giving an unbiased view of the unseen turmoils that a correction officer (CO) must face day in and day out. Without the bite of a former, disgruntled employee or a prisioner with a hidden agenda, Conover writes a book that is basically a realistic diary of everyday life in prison. You get to understand that some of the most fundamental things in life (ie. talking, showering) can become the most crucial things when a person is deprived of them. The CO is the middle man between the court that imposed the sentence and the inmate who must serve the time. There are many examples given of how they must walk that fine line between following the rules and bending a few in order to avoid utter chaos. Although Conover does lend a little bit of his own opinion on punishment here and there, this book is made to be read and digested however the reader sees fit. Being the son of a CO in a maximum security prison I have even more respect for what a typical day could entail for him. So whether you consider them Correction Officers or just "overpaid baby-sitters" it's a mentally and physically tough job that probably not many people could handle.

Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: I can't believe these guys (corrections officers) put up with the stuff they do. It takes nerves of steel to work in a place like that. The book was very entertaining. At times I could not put it down. Also recommended : Nine-o Adam, Another Day in Paradise, Junky, Slaughter House Five.

Rating:
Summary: Great writing disguises boredom of prison life
Review: Newjack is a fine work about the author's year as a correction officer in famous, infamous, Sing Sing prison in New York. What Ted Conover has uncovered, as other authors about prisons have -- especially Pete Earley -- is that prison life is extremely dull (not that I've experienced it), which explains why Newjack is only peppered with interesting incidents instead of being an action-packed saga of life in prison.

The most fascinating points of this book are Conover's dialogues with pseudointellectual lifers about the nature of imprisonment. One con says, aptly, that we should stop planning ahead to build prisons for tomorrow's children, instead spending that money on social programs to prevent those children from going to prison in the first place. Idealistic, yes, but still pertinent, especially coming from a con. As he says, it's too late for him, but save the children.

Conover's plan, to live and work as a correction officer for a year then to quit to write about it, was slightly flawed, I think. Conover knows there's an escape for him, so he becomes ever more upbeat as his last few days approach. If he knew he was in for the long term, I doubt he'd be so upbeat. I would think his attitude would differ from that of most correction officers. In that aspect, I'd rather read a book from the point of view of a lifelong guard, or, even better, from a literate prisoner.

The historical aspects of this book, especially the minihistory of the electric chair and corporal punishment, are excellent, though slightly out of place. Still, I enjoyed the history as an aside.

All around a solid read. Check out Pete Earley's The Hot House for another insider's (yet still an outsider's) viewpoint of life in prison (this time Leavenworth).