William Bonham

Outstanding! Finally, a prison story told by an honest employee, one not trying to make himself look like a superhero, or by a crusading malcontent.
Bonham tells it like it is, from the fear EVERYONE feels on their first day, to "the dark sense of humor you need in a prison", to the realization that "this was a prison, and there were always new and exciting ways to look stupid". Lessons such as "don't pretend to be tough in front of a tough guy" (I learned that one the hard way); "the one thing I lost at the prison was the faith I had in my ability to judge men", keeping your mouth shut and doing your job (do your own time), and the dangers you face when working with convicts. I give the author credit for getting out when he did, he didn't like the way the job was changing him. In my 20+ years working at federal prisons, I met a lot of men who should have taken his example. And I relate everyday to the things he misses about the job; "the intensity of the prison, the mad laughter and sudden anger, the strange stories...the need to be constantly aware, and the sense of being alive at every moment". A great, great story. Should be required reading for every person thinking about going into a career in corrections!… (más)