It isn't hyperbolic to say that the author changed thousands of lives through his commitment to the prison system and those living and/or working within its walls. But that wasn't his only point in writing this memoir. He says, "My propensity to get things done quickly was only possible with the efforts of the talented teams I was blessed with during my years as warden at the Rahway State Prison." In every chapter of this book, he names those who helped him make prisons safer and more tolerable for employees and inmates alike.

The story moves along as its subject's life does. In other words, it is fascinating and busy. For instance, Hatrak describes how he was instrumental in the famous Scared Straight program. The lives he saved through that program are incalculable. Readers of school age in the 1970s likely remember being scared straight and may enjoy reading about how the program was established. But maybe what is most impressive about Hatrak is his unwavering devotion to "Helping inmates discover their personal self-rehabilitation goals and then developing them to the fullest extent...." How does one run a maximum security prison with structure yet include some prisoner autonomy and no micromanagement?

While Hatrak is justifiably famous for his reformation of the New Jersey prison system, he also happens to be a talented writer with a story to tell. The author and his coauthor wife describe their journey candidly. For example, as the warden's house was on the grounds of Rahway Prison, Hatrak’s job affected the entire family. Most have likely given little thought to what it takes to work in a prison, what it is like to live in one, or even how one becomes a prison warden. Readers get to live the journey vicariously in this tremendous autobiography.

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