Having spent over 20 years working in Federal prisons, I was drawn to this book. Riker's Island. Just the name conjures up a whole host of thoughts to me. I met many inmates who have been incarcerated at Riker's, and not one of them ever had anything good to say about it. In fact, they hated it more than the maximum security Federal institutions.
I was impressed with the book the authors turned out. They do a good job of describing the layout of the detention facility. Honestly, I had no idea that the place was as big as it is. They discuss everything from a prisoner's first day up to the day he is released.
It's a very good book. Very thorough, although at times a bit too thorough. It's a moderately easy read, and kept me engaged and interested throughout.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is involved in corrections. You will learn a lot. I did!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This book was interesting and I know it was supposed to be a factual book but I must admit that it was a little bit heavy with information. The book seemed to flow and then suddenly there was a huge chunk of information that was so long that it was hard to take in.

Overall, not my favourite

This was a little too factual for me. I like prison books and shows and wanted to get stuck into a gritty book about rikers island as the premise sounded very interesting. Reading it felt largely like a textbook. It didn’t grab me so I didn’t decide to dnf relatively early. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

City Time offers an amazing unfiltered glimpse into life at New York City’s Rikers Island. Written by David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan, both of whom experienced incarceration there, the book paints a vivid picture of survival, rituals, and relationships within the notorious correctional facility. From intake to late-night release, it sheds light on structural issues and the lack of mental health resources for detainees. A powerful and urgent read.” 📚🗽🔒