Jew in Jail [Paperback]

Gary Goldstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2, 2010

JEW IN JAIL is the true story of the nearly six years that I spent incarcerated in various correctional facilities throughout the state of New York. It deals with my attempts at recovery from past addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling, as well as my efforts to turn my life around in hopes of becoming a solid citizen and successful member of society upon my release. In addition, my book also provides insight into how I, as a minority in prison, was forced to fend for myself against all of the mistreatment at the hands of the powers that be from the Department Of Correctional Services in this "world within the real world," as well as the daily grind of doing time with hardened criminals, many of whom I felt no close connection to, all the while continuing to fight for the true justice I strongly felt I wasn't afforded during my lower court proceedings.

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First Edition edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1452864349
• ISBN-13: 978-1452864341
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 10 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,480,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gary Goldstein was born on October 18, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Long Island University in 1983 and is a selected member of Sigma Delta Chi, and Who's Who Among Students In American Universities & Colleges.

Before Gary's conviction, he worked for both CBS News and Sports, and NBC Sports, as a journalist, and has also worked at other media outlets and sports production companies in the Tri-State area as well. Since his release in 2004, Gary has also been employed in the construction industry, but is now retired from that and focusing on his writing, and motivational & inspirational speaking careers.

Gary is single and has no children. He enjoys reading, writing, music, working out, spending time with family and friends, dating, and going to the beach, and still resides in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York.

Gary is currently working on his next book project, and going on motivational speaking tours. You may contact Gary at [e-mail].

Here are the links to some of the interviews Gary has appeared in recently at book fairs, blogs, newspapers, or on the radio:

http://www.jewinjail.com/media.asp

http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/blog-interview-no-41-with-autobiographer-gary-goldstein/

http://rai29bookreadnreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/author-interview-gary-goldstein.html

http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/author-interview-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/4377/1/Gary-Goldstein-Author-of-Jew-in-Jail-Interviewed-By-Norm-Goldman-of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html

http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2011/49/all_standingomain_2011_12_09_bk.html

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/conversationslive/2011/12/13/gary-goldstein-and-quick-easy-cooking-on-conversations

http://networkedblogs.com/rCMcT

http://www.carolmarlenesmith.blogspot.com/

http://conversationsmag.blogspot.com/2011/12/transformation-of-gary-goldstein.html?spref=fb

http://www.essentiallymeemag.com/

http://youtu.be/iRdQDzeMom0

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/archiveDisp.php?type=0&ref=1453

http://pwrtalk.com/je_smith/

http://marymforbes.wordpress.com/writing/author-interviews/gary-goldstein/

http://askjohnkremer.com/20-minute-book-marketing-podcast-gary-goldstein-on-social-media-promotion/

http://afstewartpromotion.blogspot.ca/2012/04/book-spotlight-jew-in-jail.html

http://frustratedyukkymummy.blog.co.uk/2012/04/11/jew-in-jail-by-gary-goldstein-13490728/

http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2012/05/13/sneak-peek-jew-in-jail-by-gary-goldstein/

http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/

http://kriswampler.wordpress.com/2012/05/17/gary-goldstein/

http://www.maldene.com/interviews-audio-files

http://tobtr.com/s/3285449

http://readersfavorite.com/review/6449

http://svmwritersbloc.blogspot.com/2012/06/writing-and-writers-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.junipergrove.net/featured-author-gary-goldstein/

http://www.chompasaurusreviews.com/author-interview-with-gary-goldstein/

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/monicabrinkmanandoana/2012/07/06/a-jew-in-jail-with-gary-goldstein

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/374377489?fb_action_ids=349362511807077&fb_action_types=good_reads%3Awrite&fb_source=timeline_og&action_object_map=%7B%22349362511807077%22%3A10150968440333920%7D

http://zeemonodee.blogspot.com/2012/08/interview-with-gary-goldstein-author-of.html

http://www.motivationalspeakers.com/Motivate-Others-By-Your-Own-Actions

http://www.thcreviews.com/cgi-bin/vts/book_review.html?book_review_id=473

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/winninglifethroughpain/2012/08/17/jew-in-jail-author-gary-goldstein

http://www.authormepro.com/interviews/goldstein.html

http://www.writingdownlife.com/2012/09/15/book-review-jew-in-jail/

http://www.motivationalspeakers.com/Keep-The-Pedal-To-The-Metal-Of-Life

http://youtu.be/dE4DFCbXRF4

http://rastephensonauthor.blogspot.com/2012/10/author-interview-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.motivationalspeakers.com/you-have-greatness-in-you

http://essenceoflaurel.com/it-all-starts-with-the-first-step-by-gary-goldstein/

http://livingsoberlifecoaching.com/1/post/2012/11/interview-with-gary-goldstein-author-of-a-jew-in-jail-by-shira-goldberg.html

http://www.motivationalspeakers.com/be-thankful

http://www.motivationalspeakers.com/life-is-fragile

http://www.rickiwilson.com/4/post/2013/01/indie-spotlight-on-jew-in-jail-a-true-account-by-gary-goldstein-gary_goldstein.html

http://ecsuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/01/guest-post-07-gary-goldstein.html

http://ecsuniverse.blogspot.com/2013/01/interview-11-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.rileybanks.net/2/post/2013/02/gary-goldstein-bares-his-soul-in-a-jew-in-jail.html

http://bookinglyyours.blogspot.com/2013/02/guest-author-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/538379050

http://www.tempestworks.com/1/post/2013/02/guest-interview-gary-goldstein-author.html

http://jeanettehornbybooks.blogspot.com.au/

http://bookinglyyours.blogspot.com/2013/03/guest-author-gary-goldstein.html

http://www.inspiremetoday.com/blog/2013/03/find-your-passion-through-writing/

http://www.lunarisen.com/alltheotherbooks/2013/03/14/interview-with-author-gary-goldstein/

http://www.myaddiction.com/lifestyle/drugs/a-message-of-hope-from-a-recovered-addict

http://iabookreviews.com/book-review-jew-in-jail-by-gary-goldstein/

http://bookinglyyours.blogspot.com/2013/04/guest-author-gary-goldstein.html

http://nwoodstories.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/jew-in-jail-by-gary-goldstein.html

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars PUT JEW IN JAIL ON YOUR MUST READ LIST FOR 2011 January 16, 2011

By FantasyCreature

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In 1981, Jack Henry Abbott, a con with a history of burglaries and a murder while incarcerated, walked out of prison a free man thanks to the efforts of the author Norman Mailer who misguidedly advocated for his early release due to Mr. Abbott's exceptional literary efforts in prison which resulted in his published novel IN THE BELLY OF THE BEAST.

Within a couple of weeks, Abbott murdered Richard Adan, an aspiring actor who was working as a waiter at a restaurant called Binibon's in the East Village over an argument pertaining to Abbott's request to use the washroom.

In 1998, Gary Goldstein, a habitual abuser of narcotics and alcohol, held up a string of dry cleaning establishments in uptown Manhattan. Under the influence, he used a toy gun and in this same inebriated presence of mind, confessed to the cops who promised him leniency if he cooperated without the presence of a lawyer.

Unfortunately, Goldstein wasn't seen as meshuganah high on pills and alcohol, but rather as a danger to society and was sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Mr. Goldstein spent his time productively in lockup, not unlike Abbott, researching, learning and familiarizing himself with the system...and then writing a novel: JEW IN JAIL. Unlike Abbott, Goldstein comes from a loving and supportive Brooklyn family and hadn't grown up in "the system". A college graduate with great promise who worked in the journalism field, at one point Goldstein was a productive member of society pursuing his passion which was writing and sports coverage, however, that career slowly deteriorated, his criminal behavior reflecting increasingly antisocial choices due to his addictions which he had found no means to control.

Unfortunately for Goldstein, and it's never mentioned in his opus, New York City has an elephant's memory in regard to mistakes made in the past regarding leniency for authors in jail not to mention second offenders, which I'm sure contributed to the harsh sentencing, debatably excessive, for a drug and gambling addict trying to raise money to score and pay off debts without an actual weapon in his hands.

Regardless, taking the book on its own merits and not on the driving impetus Goldstein had for writing it, here's a very worthy, must read autobiography for perusing; a more or less objectively written tome on the New York penal system, its strengths, its weaknesses, its failure and successes for those incarcerated.

Goldstein lost his father while in jail and the hardship on his family contributed as well to the anxiety of his aging mother. Impotent to be with his family and struck down repeatedly in his efforts to be moved to a prison closer to New York City to reduce this stress on his family (albeit he increasingly insists the main reason he wants the move is to be in a prison where a minyan of ten jewish men could be rounded up mandatory for certain prayers), Goldstein then spent years in excessive and fruitless efforts to get his sentence overturned or reduced.

Keep in mind, Goldstein's point of view in JEW IN JAIL is rooted in self-pity and misplaced justification, including his insistence at seeing himself as superior to others imprisoned alongside him, which includes the grounding one gets from growing up Jewish with its emphasis on education and morality. Ergo the title (and possibly why there are so few jews in jail as violent offenders). However, as objective as much of this story is he never seems to be able to really accept the leveling of the field he achieved when he committed his crime and was incarcerated with individuals from other walks of life due to the fact that all are there for antisocial choices they've made; being a Jew with a white collar background and a college degree doesn't make him less worthy of sentencing than others he's doing time with and one hopes he makes this realization by the conclusion of this story which never happens, however it's one of the fascinating quirks about Goldstein's narrative that kept me turning the pages....not only as to what the next day will hold for his appeals, but if he ever achieves this self awareness and drops this arrogant point of view (which is also typical as part of the illness of the addictive personality and many criminal offenders I feel it would be fair to mention) which apparently he doesn't within the context of this first novel.

As well, what makes this book a must read (and for endless discussion) is that there are many potential Goldsteins of the world and one can argue that reading this book can help the next addictive personality out there who starts to feel desperate. Goldstein's experience can clearly wake up an otherwise confused young person who isn't at the point yet of holding up people to get cash to cop dope.

My only complaint about this book from a literary standpoint is ironically a result of Goldstein's expertise in sports journalism, the same background that I'm sure prepared and developed his prolific writing ability to create JEW IN JAIL; when names are called to move to a new facility the prisoners have been called to the "draft", when gathered to be moved they're in the "bullpen"...well perhaps those are regular prison terms...but I found as I was getting to the end of the book my teeth were starting to clench whenever he introduced a new individual because almost always their name would be followed by height, weight, hair color and race....similar to boxing match descriptives.

Reading JEW IN JAIL harshly brings into focus the failure within the New York State prison system in its continuing insistence to judge and sentence addicts as criminals and not as sick people. While it's admirable the 12 step programs are there to give a lifetime path and a way out to people like Gary trying to stay on top of their problem, why isn't there behavioral therapy for individual prisoners for example? The amount of money put out to keep our prisons running would be cut down enormously if so many weren't returning because their issues are never resolved in the first place..only their "time done"...the sense is the system remains antequated in this regard when prisoners aren't treated as individuals and are considered rehabilitated after time done with as few infractions as possible within the system (only to return more than likely for another and longer go-around). For the drug addict, recidivism is rampant when the prison system is set up to beat down any sense of self esteem which junkies are most lacking in.

And then you're given Goldstein the wannabe mensch's eyeball view of the system itself...and here's one commentary to knosh on: the vindictiveness of not allowing Goldstein, or other prisoners who request it, to move to a facility closer to family, in his case so his moderate means family and aging mother could have easier accessibility to him, is barbaric. Punishing wives, parents, children of prisoners in this way accomplishes nothing and the penal system should review this policy which is a disgrace.

At this time there is no differentiation made by the justice system between the incorrigible sociopath and the addict who's committed a minor "violent" crime in pursuit of his/her next fix; there's no way to assess which is which to the judges in New York State who are responsible to not make another mistake like they made with an Abbott and others who've received leniency and then gone on to plunder and murder in an open society. In any case, because of this sort of inability to judge who will become the more violent offender after incarceration for a more minor violent offense, Goldstein to a certain extent fell between the cracks (there's no circle of trust here that Goldstein is most likely the exception) and as a result served out his time.

It's apparent in JEW IN JAIL that for people just like Goldstein, prison is possibly the only way out of a descent into a lifestyle that will probably lead to worse crime and/or death without an intervention that does involve locked facilities and forced rehabilitation for addiction issues, and this is just as clearly apparent if you read between Goldstein's bellyaching over his excessive sentencing.

Regardless, Goldstein has achieved a remarkable feat with this opus; as a JEW IN JAIL he's done a great mitzvah with the writing of this book for those out there troubled by addiction, a sense of failure and a belief they cannot turn their life around, in addition to exposing unfortunate policies in New York State's penal system.

I'm sure his father, Irving Goldstein, if alive today would proudly have bragged to his friends in Brighton Beach, "my son the writer!";up until his death he retained all the hopes of a loving father for a son he knew had a remarkable gift. I hope JEW IN JAIL reaches addicts' families and friends and all other interested parties and that Goldstein gets a chance to tour colleges, schools and prison to discuss this work...his life is a testament to the power of the individual to choose change, to seek help when illness creeps up instead of falling back into old destructive patterns, and to never be a JEW IN JAIL again.Jew in Jail

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing read into the mind of a man on the edge of life April 11, 2012

By The Kindle Book Review

Format:Kindle Edition

When I was asked to review this book, I was intrigued from the off. I notice that Gary is now a motivational speaker and from reading this book, I am not surprised. The true life story begins with Gary leaving home with a toy gun and a bookie to settle, and it ends with him being sent to prison for multiple robbery!

Gary tells his tale throughout in his own candid way and his voice is one of a strong, very opinionated man. First of all, it is obvious from his crimes that he was heavily under the influence of drink and drugs, and not of sound mind; he is arrested on the street, casually drinking a bottle of Bud, having robbed 3 dry cleaners of their cash to pay off his debt. Not the actions of a hardened criminal, but obviously needing to be punished all the same.

What infuriated me about this was not Gary's actions, (which obviously are inexcusable), but the obvious stitch-up job by the police, his lawyer, and even his Judge. Gary soon finds himself, sober, shocked and in jail on a 7 year prison term. I have to say, I wanted to slap his lawyer on more than one occasion and I am sure I would be part of a long queue.

This book is essentially Gary's prison diaries, he lays it all bare, his addictions, crimes, thoughts, feelings;they are all laid out in the many, many pages of his well edited and produced work.

I loved this book. It is an epic read, but every detail, no matter how small, is necessary to the book to give you a real sense of just what prison is like, and what feelings it stirs up. Gary himself is quite often opinionated, often feeling superior to his cellmates and wardens and this does show in his work. He gets into petty battles over things with the wardens, leading to a high number of Tier tickets for his behaviour. Once such ticket is keeping sugar packets in his dorm, to trade for stamps, as he saves these from his special diet. He amasses a huge amount and one particularly petty officer, Wolf, who I soon detested, went to war with Gary and he lost his sugar. Sound petty? A waste of time? Imagine being in prison, having to ask to shower, phone home, or for a bar of soap. Then see how petty things become.

His little problems become big ones to him in his closed environment and his clever guile and sheer lip at the officers had me howling and air punching in places. His dry sense of humour and elevated sense of self is endearing and makes you turn those pages, to see if he will win this battle.

I have to say that Gary is a well educated Jewish man from New York, comes from a supportive, intelligent loving family - to see himself fall from grace in such a spectacular fashion has Gary spinning on his heels for much of the book, and he never quite makes the connection between what he has done and who he now is, as oppose to his own view of himself.

His father, who hid his medical developments from his son to protect him, dies whilst Gary is a newbie in prison. The Jewish faith means that his father is buried in a very short space of time from death, so Gary is unable to get a pass to the funeral. This destroys Gary, and the hopelessness, guilt and impotence of the situation bleeds from the pages. I cannot imagine any man coping with all that in such a short space of time, but Gary does it and comes out fighting at the other side. Not a feat to be belittled or ignored.

Gary stays clean in prison, even refusing dietary medicine and sets to work, reconnecting with his religion, working on his own case in the law library relentlessly, writing letters, and writing the journal that became this book.

I would recommend this read to anyone, it provoked so many debates in my household that my husband and I are still not speaking (joke!). I guarantee you though, that you will be rooting for Gary to get home to his family and rebuild his life. Not everyone is a lost cause, and Gary Goldstein is living breathing proof. A great cautionary tale for addicts, potential or otherwise that a person from any walk of life can lose their way and find themselves on the edge, looking in, wondering what the hell happened.

Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW July 22, 2012

By Mellisa

Format:Kindle Edition

I saw this book posted somewhere on facebook and I didnt save the name so I spent hours looking for the book again. I finally found it emailed the wrong Gary then got the right one.

It was so worth all the trouble to get a copy to review. I loved this book.

It left me wanted to know more about Gary and his life. I laughed cried cheered.

I told my mom about this book and she is going to read it also.

I give it a 5 star rated for a 2 reasons 1. Left me wanting more 2. It was so well written I felt like I was right there

I was emailed a pdf copy to read and review after I contacted Gary Goldstein