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Time Served: A Memoir
HOW TO SURVIVE IN ONE OF THE TOUGHEST AND MOST DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENTS IN AMERICA! If you have ever wondered what happens in prison, then Time Served is for you. It's an in-depth memoir from a correctional officer's perspective. The incarcerated population have written many books, but only a few have been written by prison staff. Meet T. L. Cromwell, an African American woman, who shares her truth about 21+ years of time served in prison. She shares her experience walking the "Toughest Beat in the State."
"Time Served pulls no punches in revealing all the underlying emotional challenges of the job. It humanizes the correctional officer's job and relationships in many different ways. More so than almost any other prison system title, Cromwell provides an invaluable and rare look at inmate relationships and how they are affected by imprisonment." -Midwest Review
"A thought-provoking book written from the "other" side of the bars. Time Served provides a much needed insight from a Black Woman's perspective inside the prisons. A must read." - Professor Christian Green, West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles, California.
"Time Served pulls no punches in revealing all the underlying emotional challenges of the job. It humanizes the correctional officer's job and relationships in many different ways. More so than almost any other prison system title, Cromwell provides an invaluable and rare look at inmate relationships and how they are affected by imprisonment." -Midwest Review
"A thought-provoking book written from the "other" side of the bars. Time Served provides a much needed insight from a Black Woman's perspective inside the prisons. A must read." - Professor Christian Green, West Los Angeles College, Los Angeles, California.
232 pages, Paperback
Published August 26, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 8, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Life as a correctional officer is fascinating. I took a class where we toured many prisons in California so I could put myself in her shoes to imagine some of what she was experiencing.
I am looking forward to her next book!
Life as a correctional officer is fascinating. I took a class where we toured many prisons in California so I could put myself in her shoes to imagine some of what she was experiencing.
I am looking forward to her next book!
March 2, 2024
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity.
Captain Cromwell is a very good author. She has clearly put a lot of thought, research and reflection into her memoir.
This book is interesting and informative. I now have a better understanding of how the prison system works and the sacrifices made to endure a career as a Correctional Officer.
Thank you Ma’am for taking and spending your precious retirement time to write your memoir.
#NetGalley #goodreads #TIMESERVED
Captain Cromwell is a very good author. She has clearly put a lot of thought, research and reflection into her memoir.
This book is interesting and informative. I now have a better understanding of how the prison system works and the sacrifices made to endure a career as a Correctional Officer.
Thank you Ma’am for taking and spending your precious retirement time to write your memoir.
#NetGalley #goodreads #TIMESERVED
January 14, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book, and am grateful to Ms Cromwell for putting her experiences out there for everyone to see. Ms Cromwell is a very determined lady with an amazing moral compass considering the adversity she must have faced on a regular basis working in the prison system, not only just as a woman but a black woman.
December 17, 2023
This is a lovely, well written and fascinating account of life as a correctional officer in California prisons. It's a good behind the scenes view and very interesting. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
October 23, 2023
A no holds barred memoir by a retired Corrections Officer in California. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley on a Friday evening, and could not put it down until I finished it on Sunday morning!
I should point out that I am also a retired Federal Corrections Officer, who, like Cromwell, also had many of the same experiences she had. I admire her commitment and ethics. And her backbone, dealing with both the inmates and the staff (guess which group was the most difficult, for the both of us).
Cromwell served over 20 years in the California Department of Corrections, most of it in the State Prison in Los Angeles. She rose from the position of Officer, to Counselor, to Lieutenant, to Captain. As a African-American female, she was met with more than her share of resentment, racism, jealousy, and back-stabbing. Through it all, she followed the moral compass her mother set for her, and the fundamental thing taught in the Academy. That being, be firm, fair, and consistent. She dealt with riots, set ups, violence, shift work, the whole range of things we faced as Corrections Officials.
Like Cromwell, I was also set with the moral compass from my father, a police detective. And I received the same instruction from some wonderful staff who mentored me, that being firm, fair and consistent treatment of inmates. It served us both well. Like Cromwell, I climbed the ranks from Officer up to much higher levels. I did it the same way she did, by trying to outwork everyone around me. Also like her, I received the same resentment from the "old guard", those who were either unwilling or unable to put the time in to excel. And, at the end of our careers, paid the physical and mental price for having worked so hard.
My hat is off to Ms. Cromwell for her dedication and service. She is an excellent example to young people coming up through the ranks. I sincerely hope that she finds it in her heart to help mentor them, her experience would be very valuable.
I should point out that I am also a retired Federal Corrections Officer, who, like Cromwell, also had many of the same experiences she had. I admire her commitment and ethics. And her backbone, dealing with both the inmates and the staff (guess which group was the most difficult, for the both of us).
Cromwell served over 20 years in the California Department of Corrections, most of it in the State Prison in Los Angeles. She rose from the position of Officer, to Counselor, to Lieutenant, to Captain. As a African-American female, she was met with more than her share of resentment, racism, jealousy, and back-stabbing. Through it all, she followed the moral compass her mother set for her, and the fundamental thing taught in the Academy. That being, be firm, fair, and consistent. She dealt with riots, set ups, violence, shift work, the whole range of things we faced as Corrections Officials.
Like Cromwell, I was also set with the moral compass from my father, a police detective. And I received the same instruction from some wonderful staff who mentored me, that being firm, fair and consistent treatment of inmates. It served us both well. Like Cromwell, I climbed the ranks from Officer up to much higher levels. I did it the same way she did, by trying to outwork everyone around me. Also like her, I received the same resentment from the "old guard", those who were either unwilling or unable to put the time in to excel. And, at the end of our careers, paid the physical and mental price for having worked so hard.
My hat is off to Ms. Cromwell for her dedication and service. She is an excellent example to young people coming up through the ranks. I sincerely hope that she finds it in her heart to help mentor them, her experience would be very valuable.
January 14, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book, and am grateful to Ms Cromwell for putting her experiences out there for everyone to see. Ms Cromwell is a very determined lady with an amazing moral compass considering the adversity she must have faced on a regular basis working in the prison system, not only just as a woman but a black woman.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews