Oral history interview with Robert Crocker III, 2018
Abstract
Robert Crocker III discusses his childhood in Brooklyn and the influence of his father. He talks about his years as a corrections officer at Rikers Island. He talks about the difference between a jail (like Rikers) that holds detainees who have not been sentenced or are serving a short sentence, and prison, where people are serving a sentence. He details prison conditions, the relationship that gua rds and inmates have in prisons, the arrest process and his personal views on the legal system as it applies to Black Americans. He discusses how one's ability to pay for the right lawyer can severely impact verdicts and sentencing, and how one mistake can change someone's life, particularly for Black people. He talks about his thoughts on closing Rikers and some structural changes like bail reform and marijuana legalization. He talks about Kalief Browder and how some inmates try to protect themselves in prison by remaining in isolation. He describes the dynamic of being a Black man working in corrections
Mass incarceration--United States; Families, Black--Effect of imprisonment on; Recidivism--Black people--United States; Jails--Law and legislation--United States; Bail--Law and legislation--United States; Solitary confinement--United States; Drug legalization--United States; Marijuana--Law and legislation--United States; Prison discipline--United States; Correctional personnel; Rikers Island (N.Y.); Crocker, Robert
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2018
Physical Description
74 pages
Note (Biographical)
Robert Crocker III was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a corrections officer at Rikers Island since 2013