Despite any number of exposés, articles, and essays, American prisons remain mysterious places. Many stories that reach the public have an air of hearsay about them, but maybe that's because the public is always looking in but never actually privy to the unique perspective of looking out. Both vantages are necessary to truly understand prison and its complex and delicate balance of power, a fact writer Ted Conover quickly discovered. Finding that his inquiries about researching a prison piece all met with resistance from officials, Conover chose to go undercover to see prison and its effects firsthand. Passing his entrance exam and undergoing basic training, Conover actually became a New York corrections officer and walked the "newjack" beat at the infamous maximum-security prison Sing Sing. What he discovered was that these mammoth institutions actually hold two types of prisoners—criminals and the civilians sent to guard them—and that the psychology of incarceration often has the same effect on both. No amount of training could prepare Conover for the actual stress of dealing with inmates several hours a day, a grind a fellow officer likens to "living life waiting for the other guy to throw the first punch." Conover is torn between his previously held opinions about the productiveness and practicality of U.S. prisons and disdain for their inhabitants: It's only a matter of time before he begins to derive a thrill every time a disobedient inmate moves one step closer to a disciplinary action. Of course, a "disciplinary action" can range from a written reprimand to a riot-squad beatdown, and Newjack is steeped in this constant suspense. Conover is honest about his fears and concerns, none more prevalent than the feeling that all hell might break loose at any second. His writing matches the beats of a thriller minus the hyperbole—he doesn't need it—as Conover proceeds deeper into the mouth of the monster and begins to discover facts about himself and human nature that further complicate any discussion about prison life. Newjack does a compelling job illustrating that poor prison conditions and confusing, constantly changing policies cut both ways, from the guard to the guarded and back again.