On March 8th, 1995, 2Pac Shakur, arguably the World's greatest Rapper,
arrived at the Clinton Correctional facility in Dannemora, New York,
secured in shackles. Tupac walked with his eyes looking forward and his
head hung low through the same hardened steel gates of the hundred- and
fifty-year-old prison that men such as "Lucky" Luciano and John Gotti
had passed through before him. Little has been written or said about
Tupac Shakur's time inside one of America's most notorious prisons. He
remained incarcerated for seven months until his unlikely release on
bail on October 12th of the same year.
Tupac Behind Bars is a glimpse inside the 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame inductee's tumultuous time in Dannemora. It marked an important
period in his life, one during which he got married, met his
self-professed biological father, and signed a deal with Death Row
Records on a handwritten contract.
The author, Michael Christopher, was a career corrections officer in New
York State who reached the rank of Lieutenant before his retirement
after almost twenty-seven years of service. During the course of his
duties, he had contact with tens of thousands of prisoners, including
infamous inmates like David Berkowitz a.k.a. 'The Son of Sam' and Robert
Chambers a.k.a. 'The Preppy Killer', but after more than three decades,
the one that left him with a positive memory is Tupac Shakur. Tupac
Behind Bars is Officer Christopher's account of his personal encounters
with the famous rapper at the Clinton Correctional Facility.
