Areas covered in this review of Behind the Walls: A Guide for Families and Friends of Texas Prison Inmates, include the purpose, or major focus, of the book, the degree to which those goals were met, the content, the author's conclusions and insights, and the usefulness of the book. The book describes an inmate's life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) correctional facilities,
... [Show full abstract] where the author has served 20 years. Its purpose is to serve as a guide for the families of inmates confined in the TDCJ, which appears to be how the book began. However, the author does provide some insights into the frustrations of prison life generally, and suggests methods of coping. While reading the book, one expects the author to develop a major critique of modern correctional operations. This does not happen. Perhaps without being aware of Clemmer's concept of prisonization, the author describes the process in great detail, which is the strong point of the piece and makes some chapters required reading. After providing some information on the Texas landmark case of Ruiz v. Estelle (1982) and some related court cases, the author focuses on the paradox of custody and security versus inmate needs and related modes of adaptation. He periodically refers to this case in relation to the demise of the "building tender," or trusty, system that existed in the Texas system through the early 1980s, and discusses it in some detail in his chapter on racism, riots, and gangs. What is not discussed is the method of selection and control of these trusties during the years when Dr. George Beto was director. However, the account of the pre-and post-Ruiz period is quite informative. (A detailed history of this era is provided by Martin and Eckland-Olson, 1987). Mr. Renaud criticizes the system, especially for not reporting sex offenses, but offers no alternatives. For example, one wonders if the author and his follow inmates were happy when the building tender system
