Inside Rikers Island Jail w/ Former Inmate Larry Lawton

Ex Jewel Thief, Mob Earner, Criminal and Prisoner Larry Lawton reviews inside Riker's Island, New York's main jail.
Ex Jewel Thief Larry Lawton spent 11 years in prison and now helps people make better decisions and fights for prison reform. #Lawton #Prison #Mob
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I do not condone any of the negative behavior described. I have learned from the mistakes I have made and do not wish for anyone to recreate or attempt any of the events described.

[@paulmeier5664]

I was a corrections officer in a jail and with the BOP. The system is so broken. I got paid to be in the BOP and I got treated better in the Marines. The inmates are the easy part, it’s the staff and administration that will crush your soul.

[@amandaohrstrom2709]

Yep just another breed of thugs with badges that's it nothing but trash

[@j.rivera6402]

Bro……you left the Marines to become a fucking Corrections Officer??

[@andreasiven21]

@@j.rivera6402 maybe he left the marine and became a corrections officer, i dont think he left TO become one^^

[@photlam9769]

​@@j.rivera6402Maybe they served their time in the Marines and then wanted to continue that kind of work so then they became a CO. I met a man who served in Vietnam then went to serve in the local prison

[@jayrowe6473]

@@j.rivera6402 The day I got out of the Marine Corps in the 1980s, I wanted to be employed ASAP, and I felt that with my experience that corrections was the only path. Fortunately, the lady at the unemployment office looked at me funny and said, "Don't you have any other experience?" I mentioned some other things and one of those qualified me to get interviewed at an engineering firm her husband worked for, and I was hired on the spot the next day. Point is, I was a hair's breadth from being a corrections officer if that lady had been on break when it was my turn at the window. I was very lucky that day.

[@ReaperessRogue]

I hope youre doing well everyone. My year is starting off better than 2020/2021. Good to watch your videos again, Larry! You rock!

[@katejohnson8349]

Hey Larry! Been a big fan and I enjoy all your videos and I and we all appreiciate the amazing content keep up the great work. Happy new year!

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thank you and happy new year.

[@Chumbarley]

Hi Larry I’m currently in prison watching your videos their helping me a lot thanks brother

[@kevinlewis1675]

Keep spreading the word about these injustices and complex issues. Go you brother!

[@chrisolson3240]

With how bad jail / prison is, people are still lining up to get there. No one learns the lesson until they learn the lesson.

[@Shabaka87]

People actually KEEP going back.

[@1mongorock]

You are very articulate, experienced and fair. Thank you for your videos.

[@gibbyg2001]

Keep doing what you're doing Larry! We could use a million more like you!

[@ryan-yu3qi]

Amazing video Larry, great content

[@MikeGoers]

Just came across your channel and I’m down the rabbit whole. Love the way you tell stories, your videos never feel 20 min+. Ordered your book, looking forward to a great read.

[@elz14c30]

Larry is a legend

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thank you and Happy New Year

[@vigal79]

Our prison system is so messed up. And I will never see the inside of a jail cell or anything I just stumbled across this channel. But I’m all for prison reform and guys and gals getting the best they can. I remember watching on TV segment about this one gentleman who got out of prison. He had been in since like the 1960s or something crazy like that. He had no idea what escalators were, he had no idea what a sliding glass door was if you walked into like a Walmart. Not a cell phone not anything. And it broke my heart I was crying for the guy. Because he’s an old man now and just wants help. Thankfully, this family took him in and was taking care of him properly. Now that, warmed my heart. You made a comment, that inmates are treated worse than animals. As a blind person with a seeing eye dog, you are right on that. My dog is so well taken care of. She sleeps beside me on her bed on the floor. And everywhere we go she is loved and adored.

[@0sumgamezzz435]

"With power comes responsibility." Somebody is a Spiderman fan.

[@laradioken]

Enjoying your book, "Gangster Redemption"; great read.

[@michaeless882]

Thank you again Mr Lawton. Rikers is known world-wide. At (15:58) you mention a thirty year sentence for a drug offence. This is insane laws like this belong in the Salem Witch panic. I was recently called up for jury service. The defendant was on trial for drug offences ("possession of more than two grams of controlled substance"). I approached His Honour and told him I would not be able to serve on such a case -- in short I would return a "not guilty" verdict. The judge kicked me out there and then, warning me I could be in contempt. I will NEVER take away somebody''s freedom for what is a mental health issue, period.

[@dannylesbile8592]

Been to Rikers 20x from 93 to 03 those kids are nuts

[@DirtySouthJR]

"You couldn't pay me enough to work in no prison" - that dude from The Wire

[@mystical333goddess]

A lot of people who deserve to be in Rikers are walking the streets of New York right now. I’m a survivor of the system and still fighting, I hope those who are truly innocent, make it out. This world is sick🧿

[@TheConnonedrum]

Rehabilitation and Prison/jail should never be used together in the United States. It doesn't happen. Smh...The sad part is that it is a business and they make way too much money to correct the problem.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

So true

[@Dane-rm3iy]

Happy 2022 Larry best of wishes to you and your family 👌

[@richardtrento7409]

Bro; great channel.

[@Strongboy1770]

13:04-13:08 shows a prisoner in the hole apparently wearing a yarmulke. What was he doing in jail, let alone in the hole?

[@charanko2971]

Warden - we are getting rid of solitary. Me - Rykers is solitary confinement.

[@diamondsareforever1011]

Hi Larry I'm a new sub I just watched all your videos God bless you for helping people to turn their life around all day today I watched all the old and new riders documentary. I understand they wanna close riders down is there anyway you can talk to commission in newyork to show them ways they can make rikers better for it not too close. So many things go thru my mind how they can make it better .I wish they can put a school in there a wood shop some kind of job like to give them something to strive for and they should give them a window in their cell so the can see a view outside more bigger change the toilets and beds give them books inside each cell and let them come outside their cell more to be outside to not keep them locked up all the time .I believe they wouldn't be so angry if they made it more better for them .🙏🙏💯

[@Danawesomy567]

Me: about to eat my dinner Larry: Look at the toilet, and all the disgusting fecal matter and mold!

[@TheLopper]

Larry, i loved your comments on the Bill of Rights and you observation of the Draconian policies we have in this country, that was spot on. I have family that had spent most of my life in jail for being a drug addict, and being a nicotine addict I cant believe what it would be like to go to jail for slipping up and being caught with a can of dip. We often tout our freedom, but it's incredible to see how far degraded the idea of American freedom has become

[@wcsoblake85]

17:58 doing the same thing over and over and expecting different result. Definition of insanity right there!

[@jonathanbleecarter]

Indifference is wicked's silent shadow.

[@dcfox5700]

11:43 with great power comes great responsibility

[@mark1101]

Play the wind game. Everyone got a job to bring wind like pirates. Never know if you all want out have certain feelings.

[@remydaitch9815]

Feels like the beginning of the French Revolution.

[@MondoBeno]

I was going to join the NYCDOC, but after reading what the officers said about it, I said forget it. Door locks don't work, which means that a guard can get locked in the unit and they can't get to hi if he calls for help. So now they have to leave doors unlocked, and the worst criminals can come and go as they please. The detainees can't be managed, and there's too much risk of being surrounded. The only way for a CO to stay alive is to throw punches, and I won't be a bruiser.

[@firstmkb]

Jerry, you seemed a little uncertain about how Amendments work. They are legally part of the Constitution, no different than any other piece. Proposed Amendments have to get passed by Congress, then ratified by 3/4 of the States. The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. Congress could not agree on them at the same time as the Constitution, but passed them soon after. Anything in the Bill of Rights can be repealed, just like Prohibition was.

[@keepinitrealTRUTHFUL]

The answer is empathy

[@thedancingpipestuffer]

The horrible part is how fast you adapt to it and accept your situation. I actually adapted alot easier to prison than i did to the streets when i got out

[@NaJohnsonWPhilly]

U cnt mistreat prisoners u might happen to see thm again I remember I seen the same C/O tht released me frm the jail literally 2 days later after he released me in line at six flags small world luckily he was one of the cool ones

[@Mr.Truxton]

I never knew how bad these jails could get in the U.S. This kinda fucked me up.

[@MrDeliciousboobs]

This really touched me we need to change the prison system I've been in there and I've seen people treated like animals

[@dfreeman13]

30 years for a non-violent drug offense while some chomo sees nowhere near that amount of time. Sometimes this country disappoints me.

[@cookieskoon2028]

Whenever I witness somebody express the "screw them, they are criminals" attitude I try to remind them that at any time, for any reason, the government can just decide to to send them to jail. It could be a misunderstanding, it could be a false accusation, it could even be a flat out lie or set up. Nobody is safe. Nobody. You do not have to be a criminal for the system to lock you up arbitrarily. Do not consider these people as sub human, because they could always be you next. Work for a better system and motivate yourself by imagining you or your loved ones in it. That's how I approach the argument.

[@minnalunar]

not only that, but they can suffer through this stuff for non-violent crimes like drug charges or tax evasion or something

[@cookieskoon2028]

@@minnalunar YEP. Example: They tried to put me away over $900 I didn't even steal. I had a case worker at social services who didn't do her job but the blame fell on me because, of course it did. My life was only worth $900 to the government and I didn't even do the crime to begin with.

[@bigkillerwhale1801]

Your prison system is also very broken in america!

[@childofcascadia]

@Big Killer Whale Captain Obvious to the bridge! Calling Captain Obvious to the bridge! And where might you be from, Captain Obvious?

[@harryparsons2750]

I wish more people thought this way

[@erics362]

As a retired Correctional Officer, I love watching your videos. You're very thoughtful and balanced in your opinions. I hope prison reform continues.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thank you and I am glad you understand. There are some good CO's but as you know, there are some bad ones.

[@bmwrider1931]

Larry one good CO out of every 1000 most treat humans as animals. It will never change here in the US it’s been this way since the beginning of time. It’s sad America can treat folks like this when we are supposed to be so great.

[@breakingames7772]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief hey bro type "convicts high in prison" one video shows the entire common area passed out, drooling, puking and going nuts after doing spice and heroin. It's gotta be 25 dudes high as hell. Do the guards not care? And that's just one video! There's tons of videos. Also look up "tik tok in prison" these dudes are actually dating girls online lol

[@louiscypher4186]

@@breakingames7772 Nope they don't care, they prefer the prisoners drugged up. We had huge issues in my country where an entire state's prison network couldn't get enough Methadone. An investigation revealed that guards and doctors working in the prison's falsified records to give inmates way higher then recommended doses, so they were drowsy it also made it hard for them to sleep so prisoners were constantly exhausted. An insider revealed that they would give out the methadone early in the morning so that it's delayed reaction would kick in the middle of the day. He described the yard as walking in a field of zombies.

[@mckessa17]

Watching you up in the Great White North Canada. Great job Larry.

[@DetectivesDaughter]

My husband is a retired CO of 20 years. He can tell you that it’s not the inmates that you have to worry about, it’s the other CO’s all the way to the warden that you have the problems with. As long as you’re consistent with the rules and treat the inmates with respect, they will respect you. The prisons need to be changed from the directors all the way down.

[@jeromeashley9972]

That's deep

[@kylegross1081]

The same way they respect people and laws that got them to prison to begin with?

[@andersonaraujo3262]

Isn't amazing how people that hurt others, stab them, rob them, kidnap them, shoot them, beat them, rape them, etc etc have so much to say, so much to complain after they are removed from the rest of us. After the doors are locked behind them they become civil rights advocates and legal experts. Do they give a damn about the gas station that they beat and killed ? Do they think about the woman that they raped when she was on the way home ? Do they care that the truck driver they stabbed left children behind ? Do they ?

[@NateBullock-ow6on]

​@@kylegross1081shut your mouth

[@n40tom]

On the question of prison guards let me say this. I had a relative in prison that I would visit every 7 to 10 days without failure for 5 years. Most of the correction officers we're just fine and just doing their jobs. Some of them went out of their way to be absolutely problematic and miserable. I met a few that were so nice that I'll never forget them. The main correctional officer in the visitors room he and I actually became what I would call friends. He retired about a year before my relative got out and I was the only visitor that knew he was going to retire also he asked me not to even tell my relative because that information was not supposed to get out. His retirement was a joyous occasion but also a little sad that I was losing a friend. He said to me I would give you my phone number to stay in touch but believe it or not if they found out I could lose my pension. He was a great guy that I still think about them wonder how he is doing. I don't know why I felt the need to share this but I did. Take care

[@n40tom]

@Fragarbai I hear you but I have to say almost every C O that I discussed and spoke about to my relative agreed with my assessment. Almost. Take care

[@whoknows814]

Be careful the prison could be watching and take his pension even today...

[@TermlessHGW]

I really think that the part where they talk about treating the inmates like animals is because some guys really do behave like freaking animals. Especially in prisons like that.

[@Damc3808]

Ur talking about co officers who have to always be on their best behaviors cuz of working the visitor room

[@n40tom]

@@Damc3808 No I am not. I'm taking about some good people in spite of the job they held . Some were absolutely dic heads

[@grantmoon624]

Most of these folks aren’t even convicted…

[@TMGettingMoney]

All facts 💯‼️

[@charl_lee]

You’re the man Larry! Seeing you rebuild your life & help others makes me really hopeful that I can do the same for myself

[@benjammin1304]

Good luck my man

[@birdmanjrbvt]

Facts🙌🏽🙏🏽

[@rhysdavies1068]

You can do it bro.

[@timbell6870]

You can do it my friend!

[@charl_lee]

Appreciate y’all have a blessed year

[@edosborn4780]

"You're saving a future victim" made me pause this video and think and Larry you are totally right. Thank you for giving me a better perspective on this difficult subject.

[@Writeous0ne]

of course... many people forget prison shouldn't just be a punishment, it should be an opportunity to show people who had tough lives that there's more than pain and struggle in the world. prison should be based around rehabilitation NOT punishment.

[@TheGreenHornet1212]

@@Writeous0ne you can’t disagree that for most prisoners in these max prisons deserve punishment. The effect some of them have had on their victims that scars them for life.

[@Writeous0ne]

@@TheGreenHornet1212 most criminals come from poverty. they are a product of their environment. if you give a guy 20 years of shit do you really think hes going to come out of prison a better person?

[@TheGreenHornet1212]

@@Writeous0ne doesn’t matter you’re environment in the end. People use that as an excuse to do bad things but you decide your own path, shitty decisions deserve shitty consequences. Maybe not rakers island specifically since it is a jail and not prison. But a lot of the people in prison deserve the punishment they’re getting. I’d suggest you look into some of the reasons why these people are in prison. Some really disgusting stuff if you ask me

[@Writeous0ne]

@@TheGreenHornet1212 theres a cause and effect relationship between convicts and poverty, broken homes, abuse etc. this has been proven by research. its also been proven that countries who have more lenient prison systems and better rehab programs have lower reoffending rates. just having their freedom away and the connotations of being convicted is the punishment... so you can have your own opinion about them but the science has been done. rehabilitating prisoners is way more effective than just locking them up and treating them like shit...

[@zachhollis368]

My great uncle who recently passed was a career Correctional Officer, had the saddest stories about inmates. He always said prisons need change. He said he met some of the best people in inmates.

[@Flygupp15]

Larry, long time viewer, first time commenter. I really appreciate your outreach and you are a man who practices what he preaches. I hope this year brings you happiness. Thank you for what you do sir!

[@newlam7958]

There is a women who lives in Florida near the border of Alabama. She crossed state lines and came to a I guess it was a random DUI check point one evening. She was arrested for the possession of Kratom tea! Kratom is legal in many states, but it is a major offense in Alabama and the mandatory minimum sentence is 5 years. She has been rotting in jail now for a year awaiting trial She did not have the money for bail either. She has no criminal background either. Just think, one day you are free and the next day for whatever reason, you lose your whole live because of some stupid law!

[@KineticSymphony]

What boggles my mind is that you can be held in this jail without having been convicted of a crime. That's insane. The bail system needs to be scrapped altogether. You should never be punished before being convicted by a jury of your peers.

[@KyleCowden]

What bothers me @Kinetic Symphony (cool name BTW), is you will see a child molester/murderer bailed out and given light sentences and some young person who maybe smoked something he wasn't supposed to do or lifted some t-shirt from Forever 21 gets locked away for months while they're awaiting trial with no bail or an impossible to meet bail.

[@cf4165]

You guys know not every case goes to trial right? And more people get out on bail then you will ever know. Not every case gets seen by the public on the internet (although you can watch cases if you want to, it’s your right)

[@stang10189]

Although your comment sounds like the right thing to do, what about murderers? What about someone like Nicolas Cruz, should he have been let out on bond until he went to trial? After thinking about that situation, should everyone be released on bail before their trial? I do believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty in court, but I believe some people should be held in jail while awaiting trial. If someone is charged with a crime, they should automatically be released on bond until their found guilty unless they're a current risk to themselves or others. The question is, where is that line.

[@KineticSymphony]

@@stang10189 The problem is that cops can arrest you & the DA can charge you with whatever they want. If proven innocent, you're still screwed because it costs months of your life & often your entire life savings to defend yourself. Meanwhile, it costs those cops and the DA nothing whatsoever. That asymmetry means that you can never win, even if innocent.

[@seangannon6081]

If you committed a crime why should you be able to walk free? At the beginning of covid they released tons of violent criminals and over %70 we’re ready arrested within 6 months, many for even worse crimes. Yes there does need to be reform, but criminals need to be locked up. The guy that plowed through the parade was a violent convicted felon that was released without bail two weeks before he murdered those innocent people.

[@patrickfreeman8257]

As I told my brother once, "I stayed in school and graduated. I went to college, got my degree. But I didn't get a real education until I went to jail." The bill of rights is a memory. A vague memory. There is no "presumption of innocence". There sure as hell is no "reasonable bail." I don't know if there ever was. But there sure isn't now. That's just the cold hard reality of life.

[@HollieMoodie]

I knew there was no presumption of innocence before I even turned 18 and found myself in a kangaroo court.

[@tnctbone]

When I saw the "rec room" that really put into perspective how we treat people like animals. And that is very upsetting to see. I have a friend in jail right now most likely facing prison and its saddening that this is how he is probably gonna be treated. At the end of the day we're all humans

[@TheConnonedrum]

Honestly in a way they treat animals better than humans. You never see more people upset than when a animal is harmed. Contrast that with humans who think people get what they deserve.

[@muggins2279]

We don't even treat rabid dogs like that, it's sickening

[@seangannon6081]

I’ve been in a few jails and prison, and yeah it sucks and the whole system needs to be reformed, at the same time I can think of only a handful of people that were genuinely good people. The vast majority of them are people you wouldn’t trust to be near your family, and they deserve the absolute bare minimum. I’ve also met plenty of them that didn’t even deserve the .31 cent meals they were given.

[@HelloThere-jr6gd]

Don't end up in jail. Pretty easy.

[@gorillaau]

@@HelloThere-jr6gd Kind of easy. When prosecutors withhold evidence as it's detrimental to their case, we have a problem. Their job is not to get a conviction, but to see that justice is done. We need to be suspicious of prosecutors with a 100% conviction rate.

[@Whiplash4]

Hey Larry, Happy New Year! Sir Trevor McDonald has some great documentaries on maximum security prison and death row, I would love to see you check them out.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I will look them up

[@taric_112]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief video about this video would be nice "Sir Trevor McDonald: inside Indiana State Maximum Security Prison | Real Stories" but it's a long documentary

[@pog8434]

Yeah even tho these people did messed up stuff, the prison system isn’t helping them only making them worse, they treat inmates like their animals at a zoo and that’s a problem in today’s world.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Sadly, we have the worst prison system in the world

[@pocortr9077]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief And they take all the mentally ill and stick them in the jails. They don’t have state mental institutions like they used too. A lot of them have shut down so there are very few anymore. It’s sad bc these people aren’t getting the treatment they need… That’s a good video idea. How the mentally ill are treated and where they go.

[@amogatesningombam3759]

Been a day 1 fan of your videos and work. I'm from the far north east corner of India called Manipur i.e. the border of india and mynamar. I really wanna contribute and join ur patreon membership but moneys really hard in my family sorry bout that. Keep doing what your doing and keep it a 💯. thank you helping and serving your country.

[@philippealexandra468]

Omg seeing you do videos with your KZbin stuff framed behind you literally brought me to tears. I personally have no experience with the prison system or jail, but I so strongly believe that people can change and that we are meant to be loving and kind beings. I'm so happy to see you doing well and trying to help and educate people.

[@andreasiven21]

yes, we are :) we would be if we had a better government

[@KyleCowden]

I consider myself a Libertarian leaning conservative. With that, the fact we strip the liberty, rights and futures from people because they were self medicating is just crazy.

[@ext93]

War on Drugs is a failed idea doomed from before it even started. No government will ever be able to stop drugs. It has only created a black market, spread misinformation about drugs, and ruined otherwise innocent peoples lives by taking their rights and throwing them into prison with very dangerous people (murderers, rapists, etc). Not to mention the racket that is private prisons, sending non-violent young people to fill them up and make some corrupt corporation rich. Decriminalization and education about drugs is necessary to reduce harm. Making something "bad" makes people want to try it even more. Possession or use of drugs shouldn't be illegal. Crimes committed while intoxicated or other crimes surrounding drugs (driving, theft, murder, etc.) obviously should remain illegal.

[@seangannon6081]

What about the violent ones? The rapists and killer and robbers? The ones with 35 arrests and tons of convictions? Do they deserve life liberty and the pursuit or happiness?

[@KyleCowden]

@@seangannon6081 Did I include any of those in my original comment?

[@4ever1000]

Hey Larry, first time commenter, I’m a nurse in an Italian max security prison, I’d really like to compare the 2 with you, glad I’ve found you from Jessica Kent channel ❤️ keep it up man ! Love from Italy 💪🏼

[@Franciscasieri]

Ciao Bella

[@Will_Rossi]

Hey Larry! Been watching for a while and love your stuff. When I was in middle school, my class wrote letters to inmates for Christmas. Did you ever receive something like that/see people receive things like that, and did it help at all or come off as kids who don't know what they are talking about?

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I never did but hear dof that and I like it. They are human you know.

[@christinepontillo9371]

That’s a great idea. So many prisoners don’t receive any mail. So this is nice, especially around Christmas..

[@breakingames7772]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief I always wondered what they would do in case of a fire?

[@89stucka]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief you should do a video on the Ghislaine Maxwell trial.

[@anthonyboyle5766]

The institutionalization that a person gets from the prison experience is one of the most interesting things. I can imagine it is very weird to get out of that kind of environment after an extended period of time and adjust to the real world. I can imagine that to do practically the same thing every single day for years and years without any sense of freedom would have a major psychological effect on people. I really do believe that recidivism and people returning to prison happens because of institutionalization.

[@laurenmorriseidson4009]

Just dropping into say i think you are amazing and doing really important and needed work! Cant save them all but im happy to see people running jails that are like the guy on the show. People shouldn't be tortured into being turned into PTSD and having issues for the rest of their lives from being mistreated and sometimes people innocent to begin with and wrongly convicted more often than people realize.

[@sarahok6589]

You are awesome!

[@jenaportelli8683]

Wow...I can’t believe this is the first of your videos I’ve ever seen. I volunteered in Philly City prisons for four years, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I appreciate your commentary. SO on point and the fact that you have first hand experience adds so much value to your videos. Thank you for what you’re doing. I can’t wait to read your book!

[@werewolfsaves2179]

Larry, please keep trying for prison reform. We need to change things for the better of all.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

I will never change trying

[@harshareddy304]

"people (correction officers) who have a lot of power over another human being -- and with that power's gotta come responsibility" Very Well Said -- Gonna be calling him Uncle Larry from now on

[@gsomers248]

Mr. Lawton - great video! Loved your insights and comments on the current "correctional" system. Great way to start the year and I wish you great success in your work this year to bring change to a broken system.

[@danieljohnsonthejetpackman1456]

Hey Larry, 2 videos ago you said Germany does not punish escaping from prison. While that is correct, I just want to point out that there are other charges that come with an escape. You bribe someone to let you leave? That's a charge. You cut through bars or wires? That's a vandalism charge. Assuming you do escape without damaging or bribing anyone, well, you'll be charged with theft as you took prison clothing with you. So if you want to legally escape, you have to do it without damaging anything, without hurting or bribing anyone, and you have to do it nude (yes, including underwear). But there is a problem. Assuming you escape nude - that's causing a public disturbance which is also a misdemeanor. So whatever you do, you will not escape without breaking some kind of other law.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Good info but not an escape charge. They realize it is human to do that

[@danieljohnsonthejetpackman1456]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief That's correct.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

@@danieljohnsonthejetpackman1456 Believe me, you guys are a lot better than the US

[@danieljohnsonthejetpackman1456]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief In regards to the justice system and prisons, yes definitely.

[@rutgerb]

@@danieljohnsonthejetpackman1456 German prisons are terrible aswell. You put way to many people in a cell, gruss aus Holland.

[@rsd3273]

I changed my life fast. I was in juvenile jail in Houston. I’m now employed at halliburton taking care of my family while going to school. Life’s too short to fuck up your life and go somehwere like this. Now I wasn’t in county or prison but I can tell you those youngins in jjc in Houston were hard. I was next to 15 year old killers with some 4 bodies deep. I wonder about some of those kids I pray that they made a change in life that their alive and well. I love your channel I love how you flip on the two different sides of prison reform. I saw fucking juvenile officers selling xans. Completely fucking sick then I kept my mouth shut. Now what can I do or say it wouldn’t go no where…. Shits sad. But brother I’m glad you’re doing good and I support your cause!

[@Plumber1111]

I just hired an ex con. He has been the best plumbing apprentice I've had in recent years. He has motivation, a ton of creativity when things go south on the job. He did 10 years for possession of meth, first time too. I thought that was excessive. His patrol officer called him two days ago while we were on a boiler install job. He wanted to know his status, asked me to take a selfi with me in front of the old one by the van.

[@tylerbaldwin3269]

Drug related sentences have always been completely over the top. Props to you for hiring an ex con, not many do, especially with drug charges

[@tnznations9453]

Hey Larry just wanna share my experience from one former inmate to another I did five years in California state penitentiary and your videos really bring some memories of stuff that I've seen when I was in prison love your content brother

[@urskarubin4425]

I respect you a lot for sharing your journey with people, for helping them get through situations and probably even saving lives. Keep the amazing work man, I love it

[@feathers13]

Hi Larry! I just want to say that I believe fully in your cause and your programs. I'm studying psychology to specifically help people that are locked behind bars. I believe prisoners and those in the county jail have little to no access to mental health care, and that's a basic human right, in my opinion. I hope to make a difference for these human beings on that side of things, having struggled with my own mental health when I was a teen. What you're doing is so inspiring and watching your videos always offers me great insight and education about what's really happening in these facilities. The more I know, the better I can do my job in the future! Like you always say, "I don't believe in bad people. I believe in bad choices."

[@kyleerosee3]

This comment makes me so happy to see even in our county jail here they take most meds away or wont give them to you and then dont give you any other type of help. Its wild.

[@tyjeter5880]

You rock brother! Thank you!

[@69Hurst442]

Larry, it’s great to hear your advice and the tricks, in’s and out’s when someone is caged. I don’t know if you’ve ever been asked this question before, but what do you think about Alcatraz and the men who escaped. If they made it ( I hope they did ) where does someone go to get help? Can, let’s say, your best friend or someone you trust to be reliable , turn on you? I suppose what I’m asking is, can anybody who say’s they’ve got your six be trusted? Now the hard question. Do you trust anyone? My respect to you, and my apologies if I’ve stepped over the line. When I was a member of a dominant MC we had a simple statement. Treat us good, we’ll treat you better. Treat us bad, we’ll treat you worse. My Brothers, I trusted them implicitly. I am their keeper, they are mine. What’s your code of the road.

[@ragingbacca1]

Hi Larry happy new year keep going with the amazing and inspirational content.

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Happy New Year to you as well. Thanks

[@Olesnapper]

They probably did like LA county used to do us. In LA county when they would have jail inspections they would take tons of us and load us on busses with a sack lunch. We would ride around LA for hours. That way they could hide the over crowding and how we where living so they would drop the numbers down. When the inspection needed they would bring us back. We would ride around for 8 hours or more shackled up it sucked so I don’t buy these camera access shows

[@corynugent1705]

Hi Larry my uncle is in a prison serving letters and watching your videos makes me feel close to him. Love the work keep it up

[@MinezaFender]

Great video. Full of insight, and a very charismatic presentation. Prison systems all over the world need to be reformed in order to actually help people. You're doing excellent work!

[@dezzmaan5079]

FUCK THE TROLLS LARRY! KEEP DOING YOU!!! Much love and respect from ALASKA!!!

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thanks, I appreciate that. Love AK. I was therein the CG

[@Jath2112]

Larry... you even make life on the outside better for someone who has done exactly 1 hour in a holding cell in his entire life. I didn't pay a fine...years later I had a taillight out, boom, arrested. That was terrifying for a kid. ...The topics you cover are genuinely prying my eyes open further than I could've imagined. I hope your crusade to make positive changes goes as far as it really should. Love you. Genuine man.

[@amandalynn1173]

Thank God you're still with us Larry! Hope this year is the best for you and everyone here too! I only know people who had a few months in smaller state jails. Based on their childhood trauma the drugs win sometimes they never been charged for anything violent but have hurt a few guys in self-defense. One jail here only has tiny single cells, it's only a hold over station, but the pandemic and staffing couldn't get them moved for 2 days, and just 2 days in a small cell with very low human interaction brought a lot of suicidal thoughts and past memories back. And even though they were lucky to have nice officers, anymore time in that situation could've made them take their life. It's scary to think about. I mean some inmates need to be separated, the real dangerous ones. But for the majority of them, there NEEDS be a time limit on how long inmates can be held in the box.

[@michaelsteener4806]

Larry, your videos are an absolute phenomenal lesson to not only people interested in what is going on in prison.....But to expose the bullshit that is going on in them, from an experienced convict. I was there for 30 days in a county jail, and that is 100x different than a state or federal prison.....But I was in the hole for 20 days, and I felt violated. I cannot imagine 11 straight months, or 3 years. I went crazy, and I cannot imagine what the fuck you went through. I respect your need to find a better solution to the bullshit that is going on in this country. These CO's don't give a shit about what is going on. Regardless if you are a murderer or in there for possession of pot, you are treated the same. Get fucked or be fucked. I respect your fight to change these jails, and let people do their time in dignity.

[@lenaperry6258]

Happy new year. There is something so calming about you, I could just sit here and watch you all night . I would love to see your thoughts on British prisons. From what I hear off people it’s like a holiday. Shout out from the uk.

[@dabunwin442]

for someone who got a Second chance, when i shouldn't of.. i'm so happy to be here and YT Channels like Larrys help me cope and understand my past and iv been watching for 3 years and you have truly opened my mind

[@floridamaddogg]

Watching these videos really scare me, but they are very informative.

[@t.s.s3356]

I appreciate how you keep it real, and don't bullshit us. You aren't belligerent about what you've done, especially in comparison to others in that life that blow shit outta perspective in regard to their status in that life. You've pulled more licks than most of those "heavyweights" that like to talk about the shit they've done/do. You're a humble dude. Good luck, brother.

[@Goliath32114]

We need more people like you around. My mom is a retired police officer from Margate Florida. Maybe you could teach more people about what prison is really like. I really appreciate you sharing your experiences.

[@itsshaggytime8684]

"I'm gonna start of this video in a positive way: About the most violent prison, Rikers Island" -Larry

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Always do that

[@hickdick1466]

Hey Larry, have you ever read 'The Lucifer effect' by Philip Zimbardo? It's the guy who conducted the Stanford prison experiment and it's about how the system breeds and fosters abuse regardless of how 'good' the guards were before. Amazing book and I'm sure someone has put you onto it but I've never heard you speak about it even though you've reached similar conclusions.

[@seangannon6081]

I’ve done time in jails and prison, and the majority of guys I met absolutely deserve to be kept in there. I’ve met some that don’t even deserve that.

[@dishonoredundead]

That's pretty much the standard belief, but ignore who deserves it or not, government just shouldn't have that power. It's so much simpler to just know your government isn't torturing, and murdering people. Nobody trusts government, why let them make those decisions? Constantly reading about innocent getting done wrong, got miles of rows of inmates suffering because they tried to self medicate. If you want your government to torture people, draft a bill approving waterboarding or something, don't just let them run prisons like their own little experiments.

[@juggalo4life247mfrs]

Everytime I watch one of Larry's videos,I walk away feeling smarter and always learn something.we need more you tubers like this!!

[@jonocom777]

I love how you take a negative word....CONVICT....and turn it to a word of strength..of power

[@alexandrawormuth1986]

I worked in a city jail for 8 years. I was a clerk, an Institutional P.O., and my last job was as the Education Coordinator. Every job I've interviewed for since, when they ask what is the thing the best thing I accomplished in my working career, I say starting a book club in a jail. Some of those guys hadn't read a book since Jr. High. Some were barely out of Jr. High (minors charged as adults and pre-trial). We had some moments, for sure. It took a minute or two for them to get the concept that it was okay for someone else to have a different opinion from theirs without punching someone out. The whole thing might have gone way differently, but I had a guy who was being extradited back to the FBP and it only took him one time to suggest that the group needed to be a little more respectful... not going to lie, being a female in that kind of setting comes with some obstacles - from the C.O.'s as well as the inmates. After I got that back-up, Book Club became something of a status symbol. And then more people became interested in getting a GED... never forget that what might seem a small thing to you (my mom taught me to read when I was three), could be life-changing for someone else.

[@rickandrews9302]

As a former guard, and current probation officer, I can honestly say that solitary confinement really messes people up. I've seen guys really go crazy in solitary, and it's sad.

[@roberthunt375]

Hey Larry. I've been watching your videos for a while. I was a corrections officer for about a year at a state max in KY. This stuff I saw in person and is why I left. I couldn't treat inmates like animals like I was being told to do by the sgts and LTs. I worked Segregation for almost the full year and I saw all of this stuff

[@MichaelDouglasSkewes]

2022 I was in LA County, it holds 15,000 people, and half of them ARE mentally ill, all night depending where you are . I wish you would look into LA County jail, I had a kind of guy in the next cell that did 3 years in Rikers ! I never saw this! Of course I was in County , I got thrown in because I was trying to be my own attorney, because the 4 I had before me didn't know what to do! I was the guy that closed up my church for over 20 years and a homeless guy was trying to keep warm by lighting little fires ,and I kept telling g him to stop and then clean up the ashes! Of course we had 1 camera and it got me cleaning ashes up on the patio ,so the detective assigned to the case after 4 officers had been looking at and monitoring the church for over a month,this dick comes in ,sees me on the video and says it must be me because I'm the only one there at the time of these little fires in the parking lot! So I was arrested while locking up the church the next night ,and this guy just wanted to get someone in jail ,because, something that I had no idea about ,2 guys were running g around the city lighting trees , bush's and finally cars and a house ,so they just wanted anyone in to shutvthe city council up! So’I got picked,and then got sick for 3 months ,in quarantine for 2 more and then I could start fighting,also being transferred to LA ,so’when. They caught the real guys ,I was still fighting an 11 year Arson sentence! I’gotta take a break ,I'm still so mad at this whole nightmare?

[@Average_CoD_Clips]

The worst thing about this to me is that these people are accused but not yet given a chance at trial. It’s literally guilty until proven innocent.

[@conjohntv714]

Love what you’re doing with this channel Larry! This kind of attitude is what leads to real change! Keep it up!💯

[@destroyingtheworksofthedev9349]

I was only in jail for 3.5 days on a drug charge. I would like to comment however on the fact that many of these inmates when interviewed share the same view. They say things like, "I killed that man because he disrespected me, and if I had the chance, I would do it again." I am not saying prisons do not need reform, however, how do you change the mind of the truly depraved? Are there not people who will take your good will and trample it underfoot and continue on in their violent ways? Of course there are. I suppose separating those from the penitent is the challenge.

[@tjrivelli5785]

Hey larry love the content your videos are always interesting and i love watching em and your an inspiration to everyone

[@LarryLawtonJewelThief]

Thanks, I appreciatethat

[@tjrivelli5785]

@@LarryLawtonJewelThief no problem

[@cybiltaylor8407]

Criminals do not apply the constitution or the bill of rights to their VICTIMS!

[@comcastjohn]

Happy New Year Larry! In case you have forgotten, you and I worked on opposite sides of the fence. I am glad that you have turned your life around and are making a difference in this world. Keep it up brother and God Bless!