NEWJACK Guarding Sing Sing

Journalist Conover's account of his stint as a correctional officer at the infamous New York prison captures the toll of such work on the custodians of the incarcerated. The incidents in the prison, the attitudes of the officers and inmates, and the changes in Conover's life are realistic and credible. Conover's reading is sufficient, though not distinguished. When describing his training and the history of the institution, his delivery is uninspired. As he begins to describe Sing Sing itself--his life as an officer, his co-workers, and the convicted--the narrative becomes livelier. While the performance is not superb, this atypical prison narrative may generate some interest. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]