Rikers High by Paul Volponi

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Really good look at life in jail for a teen, if you ever thought of doing something unlawful, this will cure you. Martin Stokes has landed in jail for steering, telling an undercover cop where to buy drugs. He is due to be released but due to various judicial mishaps he's being held at Riker's Island for a few weeks that turned into months while he waits for his trial to come up. He's learned how to navigate the system and avoid becoming the target of bullies, but an accidental knife slash to his face and a transfer to a new ward lands him in the jail school, and he is the new kid again. Volponi spent several years as a teacher at Rikers and everything that happens in this book he saw or heard about. There are some really good teachers who help and defend the juveniles against bad corrections officers, but also some worthless and dangerous teachers as well. This is a very realistic novel and a great look at the corrections system from one teenager's point of view.



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