Product Description

This is a first hand account from a prison guard's perspective of some of the most storied years at the infamous US Penitentiary at Alcatraz. George Gregory began his career as a guard for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 1940. He was transferred to Alcatraz in 1947 and for the next 15 years worked on "The Rock". Gregory takes the reader on a correctional officer's tour of duty, showing what it was like to pull a lonely, tedious night of sentry duty in the Road Tower, or witness illicit transactions in the laundry room, or forcibly quell a riot in the cell blocks. Without glamourizing or demonizing either staff or convicts, the book provides a candid portrayal of corruption, drug abuse and sexual practices, as well as efforts of reform and unrecorded acts of kindness. Various incidents in the memoir convey the fear, hatred, frustration, boredom and unavoidable tension of being incarcerated.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #827385 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The 15 years Gregory spent guarding The Rock are distilled into blunt prose and telling anecdotes in his matter-of-fact memoir (though Gregory died in 1996, his widow, Velma, shepherded his manuscript to publication). In 1947, Gregory, a Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) officer, was transferred to Alcatraz, the precursor of today's "super maximum" prisons. In cool, detailed recollections, Gregory, a trusted officer under four wardens, focuses on the nitty-gritty of Alcatraz management. His ex-marine toughness (he was nearly killed at Iwo Jima) helped him deal fairly if severely with inmates, even as unrest, fueled by drugs and legal challenges, swept through the prison in the 1950s. Gregory's narrative recalls a time when men wore fedoras and spoke in clipped sentences, and his evocation of Alcatraz has the austerity of classic prison films: "I got my usual headlock on the convict, pulled him out and steered him into the Hole." He has an eye for important details, from the blackjacks (small lead clubs) carried by guards that were banned elsewhere to the subtleties of prison race relations in the pre-civil rights era. He's unsympathetic to the inmates' crooked ways, and yet he struggles to believe that they're redeemable men. Factual and disciplined, this is a valuable bit of history, and FBP archivist Roberts's helpful introduction tackles the myths about Alcatraz, and how the FBP's "media blackout" policy regarding its famous inmates, such as "Machine Gun" Kelly, helped fuel them. Illus.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
There has been a resurgence of interest in Alcatraz. In The Great Escape (2001), Jolene Babyak gives her version of the only successful escape from the Rock, and in Alcatraz Justice (2002), Earnest Lageson rehashes a long-forgotten trail of three inmates involved in a hostage situation. Now, Gregory, a former prison guard, has written his memoir of 15 years at Alcatraz. Given his background as a marine in World War II, it is no surprise that Gregory was a hard-nosed officer who stressed his ability to keep a dangerous population in line. Yet he also includes in the memoir some priceless prison vignettes. For example, he describes a fracas in the yard between a young officer and some seasoned cons, a confrontation between a doctor and his patients, and the poignant story of a mentally deranged inmate whom he saved from the abuse of the other officers. Although Alcatraz was unique because of its remote location, readers may be surprised to learn that the conditions at the prison, and the characteristics of its inmates, were not so different from those that exist today. For comparison, try Ted Conover's Newjack (2001), the memoirs of an officer in Sing Sing Correctional Facility in the 21st century. Alcatraz Screw will probably not appeal to the general reader, but it will certainly appeal to readers interested in prison life and those who have a special interest in Alcatraz. Recommended for crime collections in public libraries.
Frances Sandiford, formerly with Green Haven Correctional Facility Lib., Stormville, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"George Gregory arrived at Alcatraz during a critical juncture in the Institution's history. Only a year earlier, two officers and three inmates had been killed in the island prison's most violent upheaval - an escape gone awry, known as 'Alcatraz Blastout.' Then, one year after Gregory's arrival, the first warden at Alcatraz - the legendary James 'Salt Water' Johnson - retired. In short, he saw it all - and he remembered it all." - JOHN W. ROBERTS, FROM THE INTRODUCTION

Customer Reviews

Alcatraz Screw
This is a great book for anyone interested in what life was like on Alcatraz from an insider's perspective. Mr. Gregory served as a prison guard on Alcatraz and explains in detail the daily routines of the prisoners and guards. He writes very directly about the various jobs he had while there and what life was like. He adds a very human aspect to the people in his book while writing very "matter of factly." I was engaged by the book and did not want to put it down at times. Having read other books on Alcatraz and having been there, this book told me an insider's perspective that I had never felt I'd had before. I recommend it highly to anyone who has even the slightest interest in what Alcatraz was really like.

On the job at Alcatraz
Alcatraz Screw is the memoir of George Gregory, a correctional officer at Alcatraz from 1947 to 1963. A former Marine wounded at Iwo Jima, Gregory had the self-confidence necessary to handle himself well with inmates and his superior officers. He treated inmates fairly but firmly and didn't put up with any nonsense. His writing style is lean and plain with a 1950s flavor. Even if you have no interest in penology, this is an interesting book to read because it's the story of an honest guy competently doing his job as prison guard. It includes about 20 pages of photographs and maps.

Not everyone needs to write their memoir
I have read a lot of books on Alcatraz and been there many times. This book has to be the most dull. Sure it explains what a day is like for a prison guard, but a book describing the daily life of a public librarian would have been just as engaging. I didn't really learn anything new or important about the prison or those who lived on it. And I sure did not learn anything about Gregory. Check out Creepy Karpis's book, "On the Rock." It's probably 50% lies, but it's at least a good read.
One more thing, the pictures in this book are mostly reproductions of other officially released pictures. I already have all of them.