This is a personal account and, therefore, is subjective. While volunteering in a maximum security prison, I found I was as nervous around the guards as I was the prisoners. Corrections officers frequently find home-made knives, which are used in prison fights. Ted Conover’s NEWJACK provides a refreshingly different perspective of prison life … that of the prison guard. Sing Sing, a maximum-security male prison, was built in 1828 by prisoners themselves, kept at their task by frequent use of the whip. Newjack, his account of that experience, is a milestone in American journalism: a book that casts new and unexpected light on this nation’s prison crisis and sets a new standard for courageous, in-depth reporting. Sing Sing serves as a de facto on-the-job training site for the New York prison system. Read the Review. Most of the books about prison are written by current/former inmates, authors focusing on sensational events (riots) or academia types ripping the US prison system in general. Although this journey is ultimately unpleasant, this book will change you. has been added to your Cart. Newjack : Guarding Sing Sing. Although new corrections officers go to Sing Sing for on the job training, they may well be trained by people who have only a few weeks more experience than them, and who thus often don't have a clue (yet) themselves. Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $5.99 Also, playing historian and anthropologist, Conover steps back from his personal experience to offer a timeline of both modern corrections practices and a history of Sing Sing. Conover is a keen journalist. Ted Conover is a great author. Life is hard behind bars, for inmates and COs alike. When Conover’s request to shadow a recruit at the New York State Corrections Officer Academy was denied, he decided to apply for a job as a prison officer. Giants Among Men: How Robustelli, Huff, Gifford, and the Giants Made New York a Foo... Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. by Vintage. Ted Conover has the crazy idea of working undercover in Sing Sing for a year. Ted Conover spent a year as a corrections officer, and his experiences are told alongside an accessible and interesting history of the American Prison. Need another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? Ted Conover is the author of several books including Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing(winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize) and Rolling Nowhere: Riding the Rails with America's Hoboes. Much much more than participant journalism, Conover's ambitious yearlong journey at Sing Sing as a corrections officer (don't call him a prison guard) produced this nonfiction masterpiece. COUPON: RENT Newjack Guarding Sing Sing 1st edition (9780375726620) and save up to 80% on textbook rentals and 90% on used textbooks. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2021, Only read the first page and looks great already i would recommend, ... in but only in this manner would get this fantastic insight into the inner dealings of a prison, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2014. I followed it up by watching a bunch of prison documentaries on NetFlix. I like books where the author immerses him or herself in a situation and then writes from his or her own experience. that newer or even updated prisons have. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. Because its real! Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2021, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Suffice to say, this totally random find absolutely blew me. I LOVE this type of investigative journalism: a true attempt at understanding people and systems (that may seem alien) by becoming a part of them. Sing Sing is physically decrepit. Along with some penology and history, especially in the New York system, we are treated to one unforgettable story, character sketch, wise observation after another. Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing Unable to get official permission to interview and write about correctional officers, Ted Conover, author of the book Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing, "got in" by applying for a correctional officer position. After a few months of hellish basic training, he is thrown “into the deep end” working in Sing Sing prison. His descriptions are so real and I appreciate his honesty. 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