Jailhouse Confidential: on the inside looking in

by Peter Koutsoukos

These are not typical jailhouse stories. They are about events inside Rikers experienced through the eyes and ears of a correction officer who made it to the end of his twenty year career. The uniqueness of this book, is that it all happened in the 1970's. It wasn't like it is today. Back then, we were the judge, jury and I use the word executioner, lightly. We never killed, only punished, when officers were attacked. There was always a need to show who was in charge. We could never allow inmates to think they were running things, the way it seems in today's era. These tales are not so much about the inmate, but more about the mind of the officers and the different ways they coped, or couldn't. Eyebrows will sometimes will be raised. You will laugh, and at times lose your breath. The officer can gain your respect, and in an instant lose it. In the end you will realize the job is not for everyone, and have a deeper understanding of how difficult it was to cope with it all. Guaranteed, you've never heard stories like these before.

Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2021

Reviews

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, before reading “Jailhouse Confidential” I believed that the police were responsible for the criminal from the time they get arrested to the time they are released from prison. I now know that to be not quite as factual as I believed. Yes, the corrections officers are police, but their jobs are very different from the ones we see on all the prime time TV shows. In “Jailhouse Confidential” you are given a glimpse into what life is like in the prison system from the viewpoint of someone who puts their life on the line daily. Being able to read about the dangers they faced, and how many close calls they had, and could have had, reminds me that we need people like them to protect us. 2020 brought to light the times when our police went too far, and in this book that is not a practice that is condoned, but sometimes these officers needed to do things that would not be acceptable in the public view but to protect themselves it was the right thing to do. The author, Peter Koutsoukos, opened my eyes to what they expected at Rikers prison in New York City during the 70-90’s. He also let us in on how life was for many of his fellow officers after hours, away from the job. All things considered, I am still supportive of the people who put themselves between me and the people who would hurt me. This book just opened my eyes to how human these people are.