Following a fight between rival gangs, Conover and his fellow officers must inspect several inmates suspected of being involved for knife wounds. Conover is disturbed by the fact that nearly all of the inmates he sees have scars and wounds from past altercations. However, none of them have any new wounds.

Conover then reflects on the unexpected joys of prison lockdowns. While lockdowns are technically instituted in cases of suspected emergencies, they often provide the officers a chance to relax a bit, since the inmates are all contained within their cells. During one such lockdown, Conover does rounds with another young officer from his cohort who is excited about the opportunity to transfer to a calmer facility soon. The officer has a bright, cheerful personality that has proved incompatible with the frequent verbal abuse and overall gloom at Sing Sing.

At this point in his career, Conover is expected to choose a more permanent assignment for himself. He compares his options: A-Block is somewhat more modernized and also has older, calmer inmates, but it also means dealing with Sergeant Wickersham. B-Block is more chaotic, featuring primarily younger, rowdier inmates who are more prone to violence. However, Conover desires the challenge, as he aims to prove himself capable of handling the stress of working in B-Block.

Another benefit of choosing B-Block is getting to work with Mama Cradle. Conover has a deep professional respect for Cradle, and he finds her to be a much more amenable superior officer than Wickersham. While their relationship appears to start off strained, Conover seems to win Cradle’s respect, and she even requests to have him assigned to work with her on a regular basis.

As he settles into a more regular routine, Conover learns more about the circumstances of many of the inmates. In most cases, COs are meant to avoid learning the details of a prisoner’s life to avoid retaliation and favoritism, but Conover notes that the prisoners often offer the information up themselves. He laments how the system discourages individuality and forces COs to ignore the myriad mental health and social, economic, and cultural aspects that shape different patients. He also reflects on just how complex the microcultures within the prison can be, with gangs, friendships, sociocultural background, mental health status, and more all playing a role in shaping an inmate’s identity.

One of Conover’s favorite inmates is Larson, who is one of the more personable inmates. He has been in keeplock for over a year, and he is viewed by many of the inmates as a paternal figure. He was arrested in Alabama for assault and possession charges and was later imprisoned in New York for shooting a CO who was dating his girlfriend. Larson seems interested to learn more about Conover’s life, even telling him that he should become a teacher instead of a CO. Larson himself is a self-taught scholar when it comes to race and politics, and he seems to enjoy speaking with Conover as well, even going so far as to ask about his educational background. Larson seems to recognize that Conover is in a different position than most other COs, and he is curious to discover why. For Conover, who has had primarily neutral-to-negative experiences with inmates, Larson provides hope that perhaps there is common ground to be found.

Shortly after Conover takes up a more consistent post in B-Block, Mama Cradle announces that she is transferring to a different facility. While sad to lose her, the officers also celebrate on her last day. During the party, the tone is light and fun, with the officers exchanging...