Tough

About the Book

"Parole granted, provided you have a job and a place to live". The year was 1934 and the Parole Board, granting a parole to Henry Alvin Cartwright has cut the sentence of 10 years to Life short. He had served 6 years and 4 months on the sentence of 10 years to Life for the Armed Robbery he and his brother had committed in their hometown of Hillsboro, Illinois.

About the Author

Donald Cartwright was born in a small middle Illinois town, a son of an uneducated ex-convict and a farmer’s daughter. He graduated from Hillsboro High School in 1956, and joined the United States Army. After the three years of service to the country with 16 months in Korea, he returned to Hillsboro, and not finding a job of interest, hired in at Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois as a Guard. Three weeks after arriving in Joliet, met his future wife. He lived in the Officers Living Quarters at the Prison for the next 2 years. He married Vada Kay Knudson in September 1962 and was promoted to Sergeant in November of the same year. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1963. His daughter, Laura Marie was born in April 1964, and was assigned to the 3:00pm to 11:00pm shift as the Shift Commander. His father died in February 1965 and his son, Donald Henry, was born in July of that year. He was promoted to Guard Captain, the youngest Captain in the system at that time, 1971. In September, 1973, while still assigned to the 3:00pm to 11:00pm shift, was called in from home to lead the Tactical Unit in taking back the cell house which had been taken over and 10 hostages were being held by the inmates. All 10 hostages were released, unharmed, after a 6 hour siege. A few months later, was transferred to the 7:00am to 3:00pm shift, to reorganize the cell house that had been involved in the situation in September. In the summer of 1974, he was sent to Springfield, Illinois to attend the week long Tactical training sponsored by and for the State Police. In April 1975, was sent by the Director of the Dept. of Corr. to the Joliet Correctional Center on Collins Street, where a hostage situation had developed, to lead their Tactical Unit into the cell house and retrieve the 10 hostages. This situation lasted about 4 hours and all 10 hostages were retrieved unharmed. The following month, he was promoted to Major and assigned as the Chief of Security for Stateville Correctional Center. In 1977, a new Governor, Jim Thompson was elected. He was caught up in a Political scheme and was discharged on charges of brutality. For the next 2 and half years, he fought these charges through the Court System, and in March 1980 was reinstated as the Chief of Security and assigned to Joliet Correctional Center. In 1985 he completed the required courses for an Associate’s Degree from the Joliet Junior College. He was not compelled to get more education for his position, but, there had not been anyone from his extended family with an education at a College, and he wanted it. He remained at Joliet Correctional Center until December 1993, when he retired.