Inside Out: Fifty Years Behind The Walls Of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison [Paperback]

Harry Camisa (Author), Jim Franklin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 27, 2008

The true story of a man who spent 50 years behind the walls of New Jersey's maximum-security Trenton State Prison, first as a guard and then as a teacher. Harry Camisa witnessed 13 electrocutions, was taken hostage twice and stopped the escape of five violent felons. Camisa knew all of New Jersey's notorious criminals from 1950 through 2002, ranging from Charlie "The Bug" Workman, who killed Prohibition-era mobster Dutch Schultz; serial killer Richard Biegenwald; accountant John List, who killed his entire family and evaded capture for 17 years; to Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski, as well as Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. This new edition of a true-crime classic includes the killing of biker Robert "Mudman" Simon by Ambrose Harris on the prison's death row. Approximately 85 B & W ill., including interior photos of the 1835 prison.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harry Camisa was born in October of 1928 in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, NJ and lived for three years in "the projects," the Donnelly Homes. He became a prison guard in July of 1950 and then spent two years in the United States Army, stationed in Europe during the Korean conflict. Upon his return to the U.S., Harry went back to his job at the prison, spending the next 29 years as a correction officer. Working days at the prison, he attended college classes at night, obtaining an Associate in Arts degree from Mercer County Community College. After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in education at Trenton State College (now the College of New Jersey), Harry retired as an officer and went back to the prison as a civilian employee, administering GED tests to inmates in youth and adult correctional facilities throughout the state. During his years at the prison, Harry witnessed 13 electrocutions, was taken hostage twice and stopped the escape of five dangerous felons. He retired for good in the fall of 2002 and is now spending time with his wife of 53 years, the former Virginia Forrester, in their home in Hamilton Township, NJ. Harry and Ginny have three children, Darryl, Vance and Kim, and five grandchildren.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Windsor Press and Publishing, L.L.C. (July 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972647384
• ISBN-13: 978-0972647380
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #293,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Stories!, September 8, 2005

By 

S.B. (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Out: Fifty Years Behind the Walls of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison (Hardcover)

I just finished the book and it was unbelievably interesting. This book is a must read for anyone who has an interest in corrections, prison history, or New Jersey. It is full of short stories about crimes in New Jersey and the lives of the inmates. I highly recommend it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reader, August 5, 2006

By 

Moray Maxwell (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Inside Out: Fifty Years Behind the Walls of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison (Hardcover)

Great stories well told. If you are interested in criminal justice or just like a good read and want the "inside" story about some of the US's greatest criminals, this is the book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heart and History, October 20, 2008

By 

Michael R. Toth "Simple CO" (Trenton, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside Out: Fifty Years Behind The Walls Of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison (Paperback)

An amazing piece of literature as well as history! This book reads like a series of short stories ranging from light-hearted and humorous, to intellectual glimpses into the politics and administrative policies of the penal system in the State of New Jersey, to nail-biting and deeply emotional personal accounts from the author. The fact that this book ever made it to publication is a testament to the heart and dedication of one man, Harry Camisa. He entered one of the most dangerous institutions in the nation and not only lived, but thrived, and enjoyed the time he spent there. To further drive this point home, after retiring as an officer he went back into the same institution where he risked his life everyday, and brought education and a chance for change to the same inmates.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who even knows someone in law enforcement...and furthermore I recommend it to anyone not only wanting to know what jail is really like, but what is like to truly live the life fulfilled. Mr. Camisa beautifully paints the picture of both the captor and the captive. He runs the full range of human emotions in the telling of his factual stories that are and will remain a piece of modern history.