The Lives Of Prison Guards By Ted Conover - 1519 Words

Introduction Journalist, Ted Conover expresses an interest in writing a book about the lives of prison guards by proposing to the New York Department of Correctional Services to interview corrections officers, but his access is denied. He then decides to immerse himself into the culture and apply for a correctional officer position. After a brief training, Conover is randomly assigned to Sing Sing as a â€Å"newjack† or a rookie, to one of the most infamous maximum security male prisons in the United States. He meets other officers with goals of becoming involved in law enforcement; ex-military looking for a demanding, disciplined and tactical position; and those who just need a steady job with dependable benefits for their families. Some of these individuals are frantic enough to commute hours on end to make a living wage. The regular routine of the prison from an officer’s point of view consists of locking and unlocking cells, moving prisoners from cells to shower s to mess halls, and physically inspecting units to ensure the health, welfare and safety of the prison as a whole. However, solidarity throughout the prison is non-existent – especially vital when officers are heavily outnumbered by criminals. Commands from officers are denied by prisoners, as well as other officers – communication is limited and teamwork by guards is nonexistent. Conover argues that his training is inadequate and could not have prepared him for the reality within prison walls. â€Å"You feel itShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Concrete Carnival, By Danner Darcleight And Ted Conover1459 Words   |  6 Pagesof prison. For many of us, the idea itself conjures images of coiled barbed wire fences, chains dragging across the ground, somber faces behind rusting bars and those bright orange jumpsuits. These visions come from a variety of sources-- movies we’ve seen, the stories that we’ve been told and our own imagination that is constantly at work. However, the reality of prison life in America can only come from those who have stepped foot inside. Through memoirs written by Danner Darcleight and Ted ConoverRead MoreAnalysis of Ted Conovers Memoir- Newjack Essay923 Words   |  4 PagesNewjack – Ted Conover Newjack is Ted Conover’s personal memoir as a correctional officer in one of New York’s famous maximum security prisons: Sing Sing. The job of a correctional officer consists of long days locking and unlocking cells, moving prisoners to and from various locations while the prisoners beg, aggravate and abuse them. After a short time at the academy and a brief period of on-the-job training, Conover found himself working, often alone and always unarmed, in galleries housingRead MoreImages Of Prison Life And Correctional Officers1932 Words   |  8 PagesWithin society there are an array of misinterpret images of prison life and correctional officers. This portrayal of them has change through time from popular media. A clear majority of popular media such as writing and film can be attributed to the one-dimensional image. These media outlets are then taken as primary sources and therefore society’s view of prison life and correctional officers. These popular media o utlets are guilty when it comes to portraying a lifestyle that seem so real, but farRead MoreAnalysis Of Ted Conover s Coyotes 1995 Words   |  8 PagesAnalysis: Ted Conover Coyotes ‘Coyotes’ (Conover. T. 1987) was written by Ted Conover and published by Random House Inc in 1987 (iDreamBooks.com), Ted Conover is an American author well known for going undercover and actively participating in his chosen field of research (newnewjournalism.com), generally staying in the role for a long period of time such as in â€Å"Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing† (Conover. T. 2000) when he went undercover as a correction officer, or ‘prison guard,’ (Conover. T. 2000) for