6-5: A Different Shade of Blue

Six-five is a general warning to all inmates that an officer has just entered the area, so beware. Concealed behind tons of concrete, bricks and steel lies a truly bizarre world. A world neither known or understood by most people. This world is called prison. Unlike the police, whose duties and responsibilities are widely understood by the community for which they protect, the correction officer is seldom thought of. Both professions share many of the same problems, though the police are forever in the public eye keeping their community well-informed of the services they provide. However, the same is not true in regards to the duties performed by a correction officer, who, for many years has dealt with poor public relations, unfair media coverage and the "out of sight, out of mind," feeling from the public. But enclosed within the thick walls of the prison the job is no less dangerous, as the same risks of personal safety are taken. This insightful book traces prison life through the eyes of the correction officers - the unsung heroes of the criminal justice system.