Elliott Boone discusses his time as a corrections officer at Fishkill Correctional Facility: the logistics of working in a prison, the physical layout of the facility, and differences between prisons of different security levels. He talks about the racial makeup of the inmates and the corrections officers, and reflects on the effects of having so few Black officers. He speaks about the drug crisis in the 1980s and how mandatory minimum sentences lead to high incarceration rates of Black men. Boone reflects on inmates he knew who passed away from AIDS, as well as the types of healthcare that are accessible to inmates. He describes corrections officer abuse against inmates in the 1980s, and the relationship between guards and inmates at that time
Mass incarceration--United States; Families, Black--Effect of imprisonment on; Prison sentences--United States; Prisoners--United States; Prisons and race relations--United States; Rape in correctional institutions--United States; Prison gangs--United States; Prison violence--United States; Prison discipline--United States; Correctional personnel; Boone, Elliott
Format
oral histories
Genre
Interviews
Date
2018
Physical Description
33 pages
Note (Biographical)
Elliott Boone was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Queens. He was a corrections officer at Fishkill Correctional Facility in New York for 33 years