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An honest and gripping memoir recounts one man's transformative experience teaching at Rikers Island. When Brandon Dean Lamson accepted a position at Horizon Academy, a court-mandated program for young prisoners, he questioned his motivations. Was he seeking redemption for the racism he witnessed in his southern town, or proving his courage in a place where his father, a District Court Judge, had sent both the innocent and guilty? Lamson offers an intimate view of teaching inmates in a facility notorious for violence and punishment, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing late-nineties New York City. The memoir exposes a criminal justice system that often undermines rehabilitation and education, using prison education as a means of control. Through gripping, confessional narrative, Lamson reflects on his childhood experiences with racial justice and his journey through four prisons over three years. He reveals parallels between his self-destructive behavior and the challenges faced by his students, highlighting the impact of white privilege. The book captures how incarceration transforms both prisoners and educators, as Lamson struggles to reintegrate into life outside prison after leaving Horizon Academy.