Living in an age marked by a new kind of chaos, where we constantly lean on technology for life's answers, this book stands out as a beacon of wisdom. Gatekeeper: The Making of a Prison Warden by R.T.C. Grounds provides invaluable lessons on building leadership qualities the old-fashioned way. Grounds masterfully intertwines stories from his journey to becoming a prison warden, offering insights that not only build character but also inspire and enlighten readers about one man's mission to uplift both his colleagues and those behind bars. This is truly a transformative read.
-Raymond Bell, two-time Emmy Award winner and former sports and news producer in Los Angeles
R.T.C. Grounds's book Gatekeeper: The Making of a Prison Warden is a must-read for anyone in the prison business. It is exciting to see his visions and conclusions as one grows to grasp the problems and solutions of the prison business. His journey is a wonderful guide for one looking to succeed in the corrections business.
-Burl Cain, commissioner, Mississippi Department of Corrections
Gatekeeper: The Making of a Prison Warden cuts through a maze of stereotypes, as R.T.C. Grounds offers his experience-based insights, combining his sharp intellect with a deeply compassionate spirit. This book is a courageous, realistic, heartrending, and fundamentally constructive approach to the deep issues of incarceration, and the importance of societal change that will provide "support and community" to those who have been released, while helping those still incarcerated to move "in a positive direction." Warden Grounds was pivotal in his support of my volunteer university teaching work about peace-making in Soledad Correctional Training Facility (CTF), alongside the community organization Barrios Unidos. Then and now, Grounds shows himself to be open to innovation and a wide range of ideas, including, for example, "leadership [that] did not come from me but rather from two inmates," who as military veterans, created one of the "finest inmate veterans groups in the country" in CTF. It is that story, among many others, that make this book a unique overview of incarceration, both in terms of what is, what can be, and what should be. This is a must-read opportunity.
-John Brown Childs, Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of California, Santa Cruz
