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Corruption Officer: From Jail Guard to Perpetrator Inside Rikers Island
In this shocking memoir from a former corrections officer, Gary Heyward shares an eye-opening, gritty, and devastating account of his descent into criminal life, smuggling contraband inside the infamous Rikers Island jails.
Gary Heyward's life changed forever when he received a letter from the New York City Department of Corrections announcing he was accepted into the academy for new recruits. For the Harlem-born ex-Marine, being an officer of the law was the ticket he'd been waiting for to move up from a low-wage security job and out of the Polo Ground Projects in New York City—and take his mother with him.
Heyward was warned of the temptations he'd encounter as a new officer, but when faced with financial hardship, he suddenly found himself unable to resist the income generated from selling contraband to inmates. In his distinctive voice, Heyward takes you on a journey inside the walls of Rikers Island, showing how he teamed up with various inmates and other officers to develop a system that allowed him to profit from selling drugs inside the jail.
Corruption Officer is a jarring exposé of a man having lived on both sides of the law, a rare insider's look at a corrupt city jail, and a testament to the lengths we'll go when our backs are against the wall.
Gary Heyward's life changed forever when he received a letter from the New York City Department of Corrections announcing he was accepted into the academy for new recruits. For the Harlem-born ex-Marine, being an officer of the law was the ticket he'd been waiting for to move up from a low-wage security job and out of the Polo Ground Projects in New York City—and take his mother with him.
Heyward was warned of the temptations he'd encounter as a new officer, but when faced with financial hardship, he suddenly found himself unable to resist the income generated from selling contraband to inmates. In his distinctive voice, Heyward takes you on a journey inside the walls of Rikers Island, showing how he teamed up with various inmates and other officers to develop a system that allowed him to profit from selling drugs inside the jail.
Corruption Officer is a jarring exposé of a man having lived on both sides of the law, a rare insider's look at a corrupt city jail, and a testament to the lengths we'll go when our backs are against the wall.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 19, 2024
This is a well written story. Hard to stop once you start. And, what a hell of a story this is. I'm impressed with how this author just puts it all out there. It was like sitting and listening about something that doesn't happen all the time, a CO becomes the inmate. It's a true story. It's absolutely worth reading!
November 1, 2017
I expected a lot more information from this book. Heyward writes lightly about his life before working at Riker's, his work at Riker's, and his punishment phase. Each of these is really just an article in a newspaper. Not detailed as to description of the projects where he lives, Riker's jail, the Tombs, etc. You don't understand where he was working, or with whom and while you get a feel for his lifestyle, you don't get a feel for Riker's Island jail. As for the corruption -- selling drugs, pimping a female corruptions officer, smuggling cell phones, etc. it's basically a few lines.
It's interesting to see how his mentality explains how he cannot get out of poverty. First of all, he has a well-paying job as a guard and he lives with his mother. But he takes the easy way and then tries to skate responsibility, blaming someone else or the system. He states in the book that he worried about getting caught, and that he knew what he did was wrong, and then he got caught and complained that he had to serve his full two-year sentence. He literally could have been sentenced to 99-years, and after getting the 2-year sentence, complains in the book that he didn't get into the program that would allow him to leave jail in six months. So much for knowing what he did was wrong.
The early-release program was postponed for him and he spent his incarceration time collecting information to sue New York for discrimination because there were white inmates who got into that program. Dept of Corrections gave him that program a few days before the end of his 2-year sentence thus ruining his lawsuit and leaving him with the concept of getting a job after prison instead of living on lawsuit money. He got out of prison and got a another civil service job with the City of New York which actually is part of another program - the "Second Chances Program."
The real disappointment in the book was in the lack of depth in the writing. I expected less focus on his addictions (written with a kind of pride) and graphic sex (also written with pride) and more on what happens at Riker's Island.
I read the Simon & Schuster corrected version of this book in 4 hours - it's written simply and it's quite short.
It's interesting to see how his mentality explains how he cannot get out of poverty. First of all, he has a well-paying job as a guard and he lives with his mother. But he takes the easy way and then tries to skate responsibility, blaming someone else or the system. He states in the book that he worried about getting caught, and that he knew what he did was wrong, and then he got caught and complained that he had to serve his full two-year sentence. He literally could have been sentenced to 99-years, and after getting the 2-year sentence, complains in the book that he didn't get into the program that would allow him to leave jail in six months. So much for knowing what he did was wrong.
The early-release program was postponed for him and he spent his incarceration time collecting information to sue New York for discrimination because there were white inmates who got into that program. Dept of Corrections gave him that program a few days before the end of his 2-year sentence thus ruining his lawsuit and leaving him with the concept of getting a job after prison instead of living on lawsuit money. He got out of prison and got a another civil service job with the City of New York which actually is part of another program - the "Second Chances Program."
The real disappointment in the book was in the lack of depth in the writing. I expected less focus on his addictions (written with a kind of pride) and graphic sex (also written with pride) and more on what happens at Riker's Island.
I read the Simon & Schuster corrected version of this book in 4 hours - it's written simply and it's quite short.
February 15, 2012
Could not make it past the first few pages! Horribly written & confusing
September 30, 2016
it was very interesting to learn about someone and thier experience as a corrections officer then becoming an inmate. its an eye opener on how inmates see corrections versus the corrections officers point of veiw. it is also a testimony of how far some people are willing to go and risk it all for money.
July 1, 2019
Interesting read however I don't feel like child support made him do the things he did. He had other factors that were present like drinking, gambling and narcissism. Child support just turned the fire up on the other things that were already present. Overall he definitely painted a picture of what goes on the in the jails.
July 6, 2015
Read in one night. Couldn't but it down.
I saw Gary Heyward on CNN and thought this might be a good read. I wasn't disappointed. An enjoyable read. Very inspirational. I'm glad to see that you are telling your story.
I saw Gary Heyward on CNN and thought this might be a good read. I wasn't disappointed. An enjoyable read. Very inspirational. I'm glad to see that you are telling your story.
July 13, 2019
Excellent book, should be standard reading for a criminal justice course.
Good book. Should be standard reading for a criminal justice course. It a introductory course in service academies and training.
Good book. Should be standard reading for a criminal justice course. It a introductory course in service academies and training.
September 1, 2019
True,True,True
From personal knowledge,I know this book tells exactly how it is!!!The experience is off the hook.Rikers needs a complete inspection from the higher uppers.
From personal knowledge,I know this book tells exactly how it is!!!The experience is off the hook.Rikers needs a complete inspection from the higher uppers.
September 3, 2019
A very interesting peak into the life of a former CO at Rikers in NYC.
October 2, 2019
In doing this review, I have to separate my feelings of the author's actions with that of the book itself. It is a very entertaining read and I recommend it. As to the rest of it, as they say with television shows, "don't try this at home." This is the classic cautionary tale of how a man goes from being a marine to backing up his fellow CO's in Riker's, to packing. It is a fall from grace. Not everybody could have lived to tell the story. I saw a few of the other reviews and noted that some people had problems with the language and were put off by the first chapter. I would encourage people to keep going. The first chapter is deceptive as to what the book is about. Gary Heyward, like many of us, wasn't a rich kid. He didn't come from vanilla, wonder-bread land. Despite that, he managed to make his way into the Marine Corp. Afterwards, he was accepted into training as a Corrections Officer. He describes this training in this book, as well as the stigma he had to face in the neighbourhood in putting on a uniform each day. That's a hard thing to do. All the while, he was dealing with an ex-wife and a child who wanted more money in monthly payments from him. Mr Heyward went on to work within the bowels of New York city's jail system and in so doing, he met former friends. This is awkward, to say the least and can prove to be a real problem (no spoilers). At the end of this memoir, the author provides the reader with a list of ideas that he thinks might help prevent the introduction of contraband. In reading the book, I had a real issue with the way women were presented. I've known women who have worked in non-traditional jobs and none of them have ever acted in the manner presented in this book. There are cameras everywhere, and this stuff just doesn't go on. In fact, all of the women I know always step up to help out in a situation. They would never have hesitated to respond to an alarm or been worried how a helmet made their hair look. If the facts as presented in this book are true, I would suggest that the hiring boards are probably only composed of males and they are hiring women based on their looks and not on their abilities. Add that to the list---put women on the hiring panel. Hire competent females and not just women who look hot
September 10, 2019
Occasionally a news item will crop up about a former prison guard who's caught dealing drugs or something like that, and the first thought of the reader or listener is to bathe in schadenfreude, think "Good, I hope it's hard for him in there." Lots of guards are considered to be sociopaths, so the idea that they may get some comeuppance won't cause your average person any sleepless nights.
What may give you sleepless nights (or at least food for thought and several hours of great reading) is Gary Heyward's "Corruption Officer." The brilliance of Heyward's book is that it humanizes this generic and faceless crooked cop, showing exactly how and more importantly why someone would go from being an honest hardworking man to a callous and sadistic sociopath, willing to do almost anything for money.
This material in almost anyone's hands would be purely tragic; through some weird alchemy of Mr. Heyward's voice and his resilience, this prison picaresque is filled with all sorts of mordant humor, ironic twists of fate, and unexpected moments of hilarity among all the horrific incidents and sadness (and yes, this man has endured and inflicted enough pain to give any judging divine deity a lot to think about when weighing the soul of this "Corruption Officer" on the scales).
Lastly, it could be that the author had a background both in the military and in law enforcement before crossing over to the other side of the law, but what separates this book from so many in the "penitentiary" sub-genre of True Crime is that Heyward never really rationalizes or casts himself as a victim of circumstance, even when it might be warranted. This is an unflinching and ultimately inspiring tale of redemption through incarceration, something unfortunately far too rare in the real world, where theory rarely meets the lofty goals it sets.
"Corruption Officer" is not a sociological or criminology tract, but it is a lesson in the human condition, more specifically an advanced course in the School of Hard Knocks, that people from all backgrounds should find edifying. Highest recommendation.
What may give you sleepless nights (or at least food for thought and several hours of great reading) is Gary Heyward's "Corruption Officer." The brilliance of Heyward's book is that it humanizes this generic and faceless crooked cop, showing exactly how and more importantly why someone would go from being an honest hardworking man to a callous and sadistic sociopath, willing to do almost anything for money.
This material in almost anyone's hands would be purely tragic; through some weird alchemy of Mr. Heyward's voice and his resilience, this prison picaresque is filled with all sorts of mordant humor, ironic twists of fate, and unexpected moments of hilarity among all the horrific incidents and sadness (and yes, this man has endured and inflicted enough pain to give any judging divine deity a lot to think about when weighing the soul of this "Corruption Officer" on the scales).
Lastly, it could be that the author had a background both in the military and in law enforcement before crossing over to the other side of the law, but what separates this book from so many in the "penitentiary" sub-genre of True Crime is that Heyward never really rationalizes or casts himself as a victim of circumstance, even when it might be warranted. This is an unflinching and ultimately inspiring tale of redemption through incarceration, something unfortunately far too rare in the real world, where theory rarely meets the lofty goals it sets.
"Corruption Officer" is not a sociological or criminology tract, but it is a lesson in the human condition, more specifically an advanced course in the School of Hard Knocks, that people from all backgrounds should find edifying. Highest recommendation.
June 26, 2016
First let me begin by stating that this book was an awesome read. I have read several reviews before starting this book and notice many complaints on the writing style. However, with a book like this writing in that "raw" very direct style is necessary. I had no problem understanding the lingo. I appreciated how Gary Heyward, at the end of the book, was able to see the connection between being incarcerated and being in control of those inmates incarcerated. I just feel like Gary Heyward had a platform to really go deeper and he failed to do that. I gave this book three stars for that factor alone. I wish he could have expanded many of his chapters and really discussed the controversy and added pressure of being a correction officer. This book should be expanded however, overall, I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others.
April 5, 2015
This is a very accurate book in terms of the daily-workings of large inner-city jails. I have a few close friends who are Rikers Island CO's, and the stories they tell me over the years are identical to those depicted by Heyward. This book is not "dumbed-down" as described by another review - rather, it's written in the dialect of many CO's and inmates. I also don't understand how anyone can be "confused" by the writing. Fine literature it is not; rather, it is a simply written story of one man's life/story. In addition to the casual reader, I recommend this book for those considering or entering corrections. Having visited clients on Riker's Island, I can personally attest that the "Island" is a world of its own. Heyward takes you directly into that world.
August 12, 2015
Straight talk from the character who lived the life. Some reflection of the power of God to move events and change lives, but redemption in this story seems to be karma; it's just the situation for this character. Good story with lots of sex and violence. I do not want Gee in charge of my incarceration or parole and he seems to be better than most officers. Take this away: if you mess up your life or enable others to mess up their lives, you will be caught and punished.
July 5, 2016
Well, Gary did a good job writing this book. He was working in Corrections where he decided to start doing illegal stuff to pay down his child support. What gets me is how he did it,and now that he has done what he done, he has a record. Before you even start working in this type pf field, they teach you and train you about stuff like this, but I guess there will be a few who want to go beyond the line of duty. Sad that when folks are strapped, this is their way of dealing with it.
August 19, 2012
This book didn't start out the way I thought it would and it was written in very simple, "dumbed down" technique at times. The story picked up as it went on, making it easier to read. Additional editing and leaving off the explanation of "street language" might have made this an easier read. Overall, this was a good book, though
April 3, 2015
Excellent
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. In addition, my wife is correction officer, I hope and pray that she does not fall into Rikers Island traps. Mr. Heyward, you only confirmed what I Rene West mentioned in here book "Caught in the struggle" where she referrers Rikers Island to the belly of the beast.
Thank you for sharing your experience with me. In addition, my wife is correction officer, I hope and pray that she does not fall into Rikers Island traps. Mr. Heyward, you only confirmed what I Rene West mentioned in here book "Caught in the struggle" where she referrers Rikers Island to the belly of the beast.
November 17, 2015
I almost stopped reading this after the first couple of chapters, but found the content fascinating enough to outweigh the cringe-worthy grammar/dialect (which eventually improved as I read along). Overall, the book is a definite page-turner. It's surreal the way so many of the events unfolded. I think a lot can be learned from his story.
May 4, 2020
I like the book because the details of the book actually exposes what really goes on in the prisons. The media always portray that the inmates are the problem but I rarely hear about the dirt that and dishonesty that the officers are contributing to the problem. There is always 2 sides to a story and he was honest in this book.
January 1, 2021
Good Read
The author provides a very descriptive story of his time as a correction officer, making the reader feel like he's right there as everything unfolds. You'll be surprised how easily things can get out of hand when you have inmates outnubering C.O.'s 50-1. It's extremely difficult for them to ensure the safety of the more vulnerable inmates that a preyed upon.
The author provides a very descriptive story of his time as a correction officer, making the reader feel like he's right there as everything unfolds. You'll be surprised how easily things can get out of hand when you have inmates outnubering C.O.'s 50-1. It's extremely difficult for them to ensure the safety of the more vulnerable inmates that a preyed upon.
April 20, 2015
Very interesting and entertaining and fascinatingly detailed. After reading this, you won't want to be a corrections officer OR an inmate. Every book isn't meant to be some incredible literary deal; sometimes, when it comes to the story, language and overall tone, "it is what it is."
June 23, 2016
Great book
The book is very insightful. Paints a vivid picture of the world on rikers island. I would recommend correction officers who planned to work or are working already as officers to read this book.
The book is very insightful. Paints a vivid picture of the world on rikers island. I would recommend correction officers who planned to work or are working already as officers to read this book.
April 14, 2016
Great Read!
A very interesting, enlightening, and entertaining read. A true page turner. It provides a very believable, inside look at the daily interactions between those imprisoned and those who are responsible for monitoring, caring, and controlling them.
A very interesting, enlightening, and entertaining read. A true page turner. It provides a very believable, inside look at the daily interactions between those imprisoned and those who are responsible for monitoring, caring, and controlling them.
January 13, 2014
Eye Opener
In his own words, the author lets you take a inside look at the real life hard core scenarios that plague our correctional system even today.
In his own words, the author lets you take a inside look at the real life hard core scenarios that plague our correctional system even today.
Read
February 23, 2018True to heart
Very well written and a great eye opening trip down the road of corruption. This book should be required reading.
Very well written and a great eye opening trip down the road of corruption. This book should be required reading.
June 18, 2018
The book was very informative and insightful it's a good quick read.
April 1, 2019
Enjoyed. Short chapters, some detail. He told both sides
Overall no matter what happen you decide the life you want by the choices you make.
Overall no matter what happen you decide the life you want by the choices you make.
October 2, 2019
Made it.
What a crazy read. Reality check that one must stick to their purpose. Glad he didn't give up. Rooting for him. Semper Fi.
What a crazy read. Reality check that one must stick to their purpose. Glad he didn't give up. Rooting for him. Semper Fi.
February 22, 2023
This was a pretty compelling read- I wanted to learn how it played out. The writing was not great; but the story of corruption- both on the part of the author when he was a corrections officer and many of his coworkers- was pretty astounding. Like... I understand that there are some people with ego and power issues who are attracted to these positions where you have power over the incarcerated; but sheesh- they're also drinking and partying (in all the ways) on the job- that was wild to me. Or his side gigs where he essentially impersonates a police officer, and he is so straightforward about it, you forget that it is highly illegal. And that's before he starts smuggling in contraband for prisoners! What I also found interesting was that the majority of the book is about him being the Corrections Officer and eventually going corrupt; we learn very little about his time as a prisoner. I'm also not sure that he makes the reader sympathetic. Maybe he wasn't trying to? I couldn't tell if he was explaining his need to make more money to pay child support, thinking that we'd sympathize; or if explaining how frustrating it was to not get straight answers about his prison sentence would make us sympathetic. Or if this book is his attempt to show us the ways he justified his unjustifiable actions as a young idiot but has learned from it now. Hard to say. An interesting story if you can get past the writing.
January 22, 2024
I started this last year, got a couple chapters in and put it on my shelf thinking I would never finish it. The beginning was awful, not going to lie. Last week I decided to give it a try because the story itself intrigued me. I’m glad I gave it another chance! This book turned out to be a good read. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the different perspectives from a Correctional Officer stand point first than an inmate stand point at the end.. the writing style is a bit sloppy but all in all a good story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews