| Al Bermudez Pereira (49) - of a Puerto Rican | | | | these inmates were disadvantage because they |
| heritage and raised in Brooklyn, found | | | | didn't speak English. This masked |
| inspiration to portray in this book his 20 | | | | discrimination also extended to officers. In |
| years of experience as a correctional officer | | | | one passage of the book Bermudez describes a |
| in one of the most repressive facilities in | | | | scene where he goes to the aid of a prisoner |
| the nation. Sing Sing located in Ossining, | | | | who attempted suicide by hanging himself |
| New York, is considered as the warehouse for | | | | inside his cell. |
| society's worst criminals. | | | | |
| | | | While Bermudez managed to cut the knot on the |
| In his visual narrative Bermudez conveys the | | | | sheet, the inmate was being held up by an |
| level of bravery and professionalism required | | | | Afro American officer who also performed |
| for those who lock the gates behind them | | | | resuscitation techniques until a white |
| every morning to keep watch over men with | | | | paramedic arrived to place the inmate on a |
| extremely dangerous minds. | | | | gurney. As a result, he received heroic |
| | | | commendations, while the Afro American and |
| However, the Hispanic officer focused on | | | | Hispanic officers received nothing for their |
| circumstances that most impacted him | | | | efforts and courage to save a life. |
| concerning innocent people in jail and | | | | |
| discrimination against Hispanics. | | | | The narration rapidly scans each corner of |
| | | | the correctional facility until the reader is |
| "In the book I mentioned that my Brother went | | | | transported to the cell blocks where the |
| to jail in 1983 for a crime he never | | | | youngest prisoners reside. Here the reader |
| committed. I knew, as many others, that he | | | | confronts the oppressive darkness of all the |
| was serving a sentence he did not deserve." | | | | corruption and injustice society can inflict. |
| Pereira said to ECO Latino Magazine. "Over | | | | |
| the years I learned to recognize who were the | | | | By Maria D'Adamo, Managing Editor |
| innocent people in prison. | | | | |
| | | | ECO Latino Magazine |
| Bermudez said, his years working in Sing Sing | | | | |
| helped keep his Spanish alive to assist | | | | ECOLatino. |
| Hispanics to communicate. He affirmed that | | | | |