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Bad Guys: America's Most Wanted in Their Own Words
Bad Guys is a chilling look at the world of crime - from burglar to drug smuggler, from small-time hustler to full-time scam artist - told in the words of America's most wanted themselves. Young and old, male and female, career criminal and joyrider, bad guys tell their stories in voices that reveal the full range of emotions, from pride and regret to anger and shame, and even humor. (There's an irresistible account of a robbery gone so awry that the stick-up man has to hail a taxi to try to flee the crime scene.)
The criminals Mark Baker has interviewed for this book talk candidly about how they started on a life of crime, what their lives are like day-to-day (they talk, for example, about the mechanics of money laundering, planning a robbery, manufacturing fake drugs, and so forth), and the often brutal rituals of life in prison, where most career criminals eventually find themselves.
The criminals Mark Baker has interviewed for this book talk candidly about how they started on a life of crime, what their lives are like day-to-day (they talk, for example, about the mechanics of money laundering, planning a robbery, manufacturing fake drugs, and so forth), and the often brutal rituals of life in prison, where most career criminals eventually find themselves.
- GenresCrimeTrue Crime
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 13, 1996
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About the author
Mark Baker
18 books15 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Mark^^^^^Baker
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Mark^^^^^Baker
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 12, 2025
At this date kind of dated, but interesting. Certain that I don't want to become one of 'America's most wanted'.
December 31, 2014
Well the title is certainly misleading.
The author presented himself humbly as 'someone who can get inmates to open up to' and get their stories. He consciously omitted interviews with especially violent criminals (rapists, serial killers, etc) and I think this was a good idea. It prevented the book from becoming a lurid collection of stories to ogle and thus would have allowed the reader to maintain a comfortable safe distance.
Also salient here is the fact that the inmates interviewed had absolutely nothing to gain from allowing their stories to be recorded. No real names were used. In fact, speaking to the author in long interviews would often arouse suspicion in fellow inmates (thinking the inmates were really 'snitching' to prison authorities, something that could get them killed once back in general population) so these interviews could likely be taken at face value.
As someone interested in aberrant psychology this was an intriguing book. I think anyone could learn valuable information reading this. Wayward teens or anyone considering a foray into crime (even petty crime, one off sort of stuff) would benefit from seeing how easily a person could be trapped in 'the lifestyle'.
Some of the stories were absolutely funny, a few tales bordering on the ludicrous (inmates recounting a heist gone bad, the results almost comical and the epitomy of a bad day/streak of bad luck in each one. Many of the stories are hauntingly poignant; drugs abuse/substance addiction is the crucible for many of these inmates' lives. Bad decisions made under the influence, so called 'friends' cajoling these people into ill advised enterprises lead to life changing events.
One striking similarity with each inmate: None of them blamed other people for their circumstances. Not even the inmates who suffered the most intensely dysfunctional upbringings blamed other people. This is certainly something I did not expect. Also, we are used to seeing crime shows with cagey inmates all claiming innocence. That was not the reality with the inmates Baker interviewed.
Was Baker justifying their transgressions? Certainly not. Was he putting a human face on the criminals? Yes. And that's fine if it can be used as a cautionary tale.
The gross misconduct of prison personnel is something that pops up in the media on occasion. But the first hand accounts of these confrontations is sobering. Also hearing how inmates adapt (or don't, and suffer the consequences) is fascinating.
What I found most heartbreaking were the parents (mothers especially, as I have children) who were multiple offenders for petty crimes and often missed seeing their kids grow up. One female inmate noted the large percentage of women incarcerated for 'bad checks'. Prisons are overflowing with inamtes who committed non violent offenses; prisons are being built to accomodate more people and this costs a lot of money. It would seem prudent to focus on the mental health /preventive services. And many incarcerated inmates are addicts. Some are addicts due to bad choices. Many become addicts to cope with emotional pain and abuse. If more public services were available to counsel such people the prisons might have less overflow. We've all heard arguments to this end but reading the personal stories of these people makes gives it a sense of urgency.
The author presented himself humbly as 'someone who can get inmates to open up to' and get their stories. He consciously omitted interviews with especially violent criminals (rapists, serial killers, etc) and I think this was a good idea. It prevented the book from becoming a lurid collection of stories to ogle and thus would have allowed the reader to maintain a comfortable safe distance.
Also salient here is the fact that the inmates interviewed had absolutely nothing to gain from allowing their stories to be recorded. No real names were used. In fact, speaking to the author in long interviews would often arouse suspicion in fellow inmates (thinking the inmates were really 'snitching' to prison authorities, something that could get them killed once back in general population) so these interviews could likely be taken at face value.
As someone interested in aberrant psychology this was an intriguing book. I think anyone could learn valuable information reading this. Wayward teens or anyone considering a foray into crime (even petty crime, one off sort of stuff) would benefit from seeing how easily a person could be trapped in 'the lifestyle'.
Some of the stories were absolutely funny, a few tales bordering on the ludicrous (inmates recounting a heist gone bad, the results almost comical and the epitomy of a bad day/streak of bad luck in each one. Many of the stories are hauntingly poignant; drugs abuse/substance addiction is the crucible for many of these inmates' lives. Bad decisions made under the influence, so called 'friends' cajoling these people into ill advised enterprises lead to life changing events.
One striking similarity with each inmate: None of them blamed other people for their circumstances. Not even the inmates who suffered the most intensely dysfunctional upbringings blamed other people. This is certainly something I did not expect. Also, we are used to seeing crime shows with cagey inmates all claiming innocence. That was not the reality with the inmates Baker interviewed.
Was Baker justifying their transgressions? Certainly not. Was he putting a human face on the criminals? Yes. And that's fine if it can be used as a cautionary tale.
The gross misconduct of prison personnel is something that pops up in the media on occasion. But the first hand accounts of these confrontations is sobering. Also hearing how inmates adapt (or don't, and suffer the consequences) is fascinating.
What I found most heartbreaking were the parents (mothers especially, as I have children) who were multiple offenders for petty crimes and often missed seeing their kids grow up. One female inmate noted the large percentage of women incarcerated for 'bad checks'. Prisons are overflowing with inamtes who committed non violent offenses; prisons are being built to accomodate more people and this costs a lot of money. It would seem prudent to focus on the mental health /preventive services. And many incarcerated inmates are addicts. Some are addicts due to bad choices. Many become addicts to cope with emotional pain and abuse. If more public services were available to counsel such people the prisons might have less overflow. We've all heard arguments to this end but reading the personal stories of these people makes gives it a sense of urgency.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews