Line Screw: My Twelve Riotous Years Working Behind Bars in Some of Canada's Toughest Jails
Language: English
Published by McClelland & Stewart, 1993
- First Edition
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Bookman Books, Lynchburg, VA, U.S.A.Bookman Books
AbeBooks seller since November 1, 2019
Condition: Used - Fine
US$ 19.99
Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
If he hadn't been rear-ended on a Vancouver street and knocked unconscious into the car ahead of him, it's unlikely that the poet J. Michael Yates would ever have become a prison guard. But the accident temporarily messed up his memory, and being a prison guard or "line screw" looked like a job he could handle. He signed up and for the next dozen years worked behind bars. Line Screw is his tough, chilling, yet frequently comic account of his years working as a guard in three quite different jails: Oakalla, now demolished, but once Canada's answer to Alcatraz; Vancouver Pretrial, the most hi-tech jail in North America; and New Haven, a unique minimum-security jail, where young adults really are rehabilitated. This book is a first. No one before has ever written about what prison life is like on the guards' side of the bars. And few writers have ever written about prison with such skill and humour. Life in prison is rough, dangerous, full of bureaucratic idiocy, enlivened by hilarious pranks, and kept sane by a gallows humour shared by cons and guards. The tales here cover the spectrum from slapstick to great poignancy, even tragedy. They include revealing stories on such celebrity cons as Clifford Olson and the Squamish Five; on what it's like to quell a major prison riot; and on the quiet pride taken on watching young men straighten out. A clean and tight copy. Dust Jacket has a bit of skinning of the plasticote front top foredge corner; now protected in a new Brodart cover.…
Seller Inventory # 007855
- Title
- Line Screw: My Twelve Riotous Years Working Behind Bars in Some of Canada's Toughest Jails
- Author
- Yates, J. Michael
- Publisher
- McClelland & Stewart
- Publication year
- 1993
- Condition
- Fine
- Dust jacket
- Near Fine
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 077109082X
- ISBN 13
- 9780771090820
- Edition
- First Edition, First Printing
- Printing
- 1st Printing
- Dimensions
- 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall
- Seller catalogs
- Biography/ Autobiography
Line Screw is his tough, chilling, yet frequently comic account of his years working as a guard in three quite different jails: Oakalla, now demolished, but once Canada's answer to Alcatraz; Vancouver Pretrial, the most hi-tech jail in North America; and New Haven, a unique minimum-security jail, where young adults really are rehabilitated.
This book is a first. No one before has ever written about what prison life is like on the guard's side of the bars. And few writers have ever written about prison with such skill and humour. Life in prison is rough, dangerous, full of bureaucratic idiocy, enlivened by hilarious pranks, and kept sane by a gallows humour shared by cons and guards.
The tales here cover the spectrum from slapstick to great poignancy, even tragedy. They include revealing stories on such celebrity cons as Clifford Olson and the Squamish Five; on what it's like to quell a major prison riot; and on the quiet pride taken on watching young men straighten out. J. Michael Yates' remarkable storytelling skills make Line Screw a compelling read.
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Bookman Books
Lynchburg, VA, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since November 1, 2019
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 14 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | US$ 6.99 | US$ 11.49 |
Payment methods
- Check
- Money Order
Store description
New, Used, Rare, and Antiquarian Book dealer located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Currently we are Internet based only, with an uncatalogued inventory of approximately thirty thousand books. For each book we sell we will utilize the AbeBooks stock pictures as long as they are an accurate representation of the condition of our book. If not, we will upload a scan of the title with any additional images that we feel are necessary to give you a true image of the condition of the book you are buying. Feel free to ask for more images if needed. We are working hard to get all of our inventory listed for your viewing pleasure. Please contact us through E-mail with any questions and, Thank You for supporting Small Businesses.…
Specialty
History & Sociology, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Children's & Young Adult, Out-of-Print, Horror, Mystery & SuspenseSeller's business information
Bookman Books
VA, U.S.A.
Terms of sale
Mail order books are returnable within 30 days with pre-approval. Shipping costs are non-refundable.
We can put your book request on hold for 2 weeks awaiting payment and will ship as requested with customer paying shipping, so please request insurance if desired and actual rate applied.
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*** Book grading to ABBookman standards.***
Mint or As New...No defects, just as came from press.
Fine...May have wrinkle or dent in dust jacket or boards. No tears or writing.
Very Good...Small amount of bump and chip damage, maybe soiled, no torn pages.
Good...Average used and worn book with all pages. Major defects will be noted.
Fair...Dust jacket/book worn or soiled. Pages soiled/torn but no text missing.
Poor...So worn that it is a reading copy only.
Contact Information:
Bookman Books
5337 Hickory Hill Dr.
Lynchburg, Va. 24503
USA
BookmanBooks@aol.com
Sole Proprietor: David Johnson
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Shipping Sale Update: From May 23, 2025 until further notice, books priced $19.99, and up, (excluding some sets and those noted for their size and/or weight), includes automatic upgrade from Media Mail within the Continental Lower 48 States.
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