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| The Largest Hotel Chain in Texas: Texas Prisons | 
 enlarge | Author: Lon Glenn
Publisher: Eakin Press
Category: Book
Buy New: $43.83
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $12.80
Avg. Customer Rating:  (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 119629
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 450
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6 x 1.1
ISBN: 1571685227
Dewey Decimal Number: 365.9764
EAN: 9781571685223
ASIN: 1571685227
Publication Date: May 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Overcrowded and understaffed, Texas prisons are nearing the meltdown stage. It wasn't always that way. A few California lawyers and an activist federal judge ruined what was widely acknowledged as the best prison system in the nation. The old judge reached into the pockets of Texas taxpayers and extracted several billion dollars, forcing Texans to undertake the largest prison expansion program in the history of the world. In this unblinking look at the past and present of Texas prisons, crucial questions are raised: Does the Texas prison system do what the people of Texas want it to do? Does it rehabilitate? Do our prisons make our society safe? Can we win the war on drugs? Is education synonymous with rehabilitation? Will Texas always have a need for the death penalty? You may not agree with the author's answers to these questions, but you won't be able to forget the stark reality of his story. Lon Bennet Glenn began his career with the Texas Prison System in 1966, when at the age of twenty-one he signed on as prison guard at the Clemens Unit in Brazoria County. As he worked his way through the ranks to the position of warden, the prison system underwent tremendous change. Glenn, now of Angleton, Texas, has survived the convicts, the politicians, the press, arbitrary prison administrations, lawyers, and federal courts to tell a story that the public deserves to know.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 GREAT BOOK...nothing but the truth September 14, 2007
If you want to read a book about TDC then this is the one. I am a former employee of TDC and was assigned to an institution where Mr. Glenn was the warden. He is a good man.
good resource January 3, 2007
Looking for a "cell block" eye view of Texas prisons, then this book is a good resource. The author worked his way up from Correctional Officer in the "plantation prison" era to Warden in the contemporary era of corrections. Along the way, he experienced all of the hazards, brotherhood and politics that a career in corrections can bring you. He does not let back on his opinions about Texas prisons in particular and American prisons in general. It's a good read and historical resource and I would recommend it to anyone in the corrections field or interested in the subject.
 A DISSAPOINTMENT I COULDNT READ THE BACK COVER February 20, 2005
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i am interested in this book but i would like to read the back cover to see if its what i am looking for
great book February 13, 2003
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book.The history of Texas prisons is fascinating.As a Texas correctional officer I know that many of the author's opinions and concerns are shared by officers still working for the state of Texas. While you may not agree with some of the author's opinions this book as a whole is interesting reading.
Written For Those Individuals Who Actually Do The Work December 28, 2001
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book speaks to those who actually do the work of the Texas prison system, rather than to those intellectuals and lawyers who seek to mold it without knowing the practical life and death effects that their ideas have on real, live, breathing, human beings.Mr. Glenn deals with an issue which is surrounded with myths and misunderstanding. The use of inmate guards didn't begin with the Texas prison system. It just received the most publicity there. All inmates are not created equal. Some are smarter and stronger than others. Some are natural leaders. Anyone who has ever worked in a prison knows that you can either fight this little aspect of reality, or use to your advantage in the management of the prison. Everyone does it because no one has a choice. The problem that Texas encountered with Building Tenders and Turnkeys was due to the formal nature of the arrangement. In other words, Texas was open and honest about the system, with formal proceedures for its management. Contrast that with the situation of today in every prison system, whether it be state, federal, or 'enlightened' european; in which deals are made between the prison administration and gang leaders because it is the only realistic way of limiting inmate violence. Building Tenders still exist, only now their existence is denied or they are called something else. So much for the lunatic dreams of Willie Wayne Justice and company.
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