In this first memoir about life in the Missouri State Penitentiary by a worker who was neither a prisoner nor a guard, Larry E. Neal reveals a portrait of prison life very different from common conceptions. As a maintenance worker, Neal led prisoner work crews, and his stories show that life inside the prison walls could be surprisingly lighthearted, with prisoners and staff playing pranks on each other and crawling through dark tunnels together. In addition to a rare insiders view into prison humor, Unguarded Moments also gives readers a window into the rhythms of daily life inside and the shared humanity of everyone behind the walls.
