Being on the other side of the bars inside the jails of Rikers Island I got to witness and hear about wicked doings. During my 20 years as a Correction Officer this story comes to mind on the 40th anniversary of an Icon’s death.
It was 40 years ago when football broadcaster Howard Cosell informed the world of John Lennon’s assassination. His chilling words of “DEAD ON ARRIVAL!” still ring in my ears till this day. It was after 11p.m. on a Monday night. While the New England Patriots were playing the Miami Dolphins, Lennon’s body was laying lifeless in a gurney at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital. Lennon’s killer, Mark David Chapman, was getting booked for his crime before he was transported to Rikers Island. His presence behind bars caused even more havoc to the correction officers who watched over him.
Like a professional assassin he took his crouch and fired five shots towards the back of the beloved musical artist. Chapman then waited patiently for the arresting officers outside the Dakota building where Lennon lived. He bided his time by reading the novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger. After all this chaos, he was now being held on the 2nd floors Protective Custody Unit of Rikers Island Hospital. The unit consists of 13 cells and holds the most notorious inmates on the island. Chapman had the cell block all to himself as the other occupants were moved to other parts of the island. The 25 year old, who was the most famous inmate in custody, was now a shadow of the man behind the .38 special.
Chapman was now a little mouse among an island of rats. The officers that worked the 2B post would play Lennon’s songs on a cassette player and the music would echo through the 2B cell block. The sounds of “Imagine, Starting Over, Jealous Guy, Woman” among others would keep Chapman from sleeping soundly inside of his eight foot cell. For his upcoming court date Chapman requested a haircut. The protocol for P.C. inmates is the barber comes to you, instead of you going to the barber, where other inmates are waiting to get groomed. This is for security reasons, because of the obvious chance of an inmate cutting up Chapman so he can claim the title of, “The Killer of the Beatle Killer.”
The officer on duty in Chapman’s housing area took it upon himself to cut Chapman’s hair. He did such a botch job that Chapman’s appearance resembled a psychopath. The media outlets had a field day with Chapman’s do when he appeared in court. For his effort the barber, who was also Chapman’s jailer, had thirty vacation days taken away from him. The punishment wasn’t for the bad hair job, it was because he took it upon himself to secure his “trophy” inmate from other inmates. The officer, who will not have a vacation for a year, couldn’t even trust the barber, who was an actual inmate on a trusted jailhouse job.
Another privilege Chapman had was recreation time. Each inmate is afforded one hour out to the yard. Chapman would be escorted by two officers up to the rooftop of Rikers Island Hospital. The top of the 6th floor building had a basketball court within its gated surroundings. Chapman would walk back and forth on the court during his one hour play time. One time the officer escorting Chapman was holding on to the basketball. He naturally bounced the ball in a dribble form, while Chapman was doing his marathon walk. When the hour ended the officer was ordered to report to the Deputy Warden. The Dep gave the officer a tongue lashing for dribbling the ball. His theory was, by bouncing the ball he took his eyes off the notorious inmate he was guarding. That cost the officer six vacation days. One day for each bounce.
Everybody paid a price for Chapman’s senseless act, except for a few morons. A couple of officers took advantage of this infamous inmate. They had Chapman autograph copies of, “The Catcher in the Rye.” Now that’s as tasteless as the chow that’s being served to these menaces of society.
Chapman copped out to a 20 years to life prison term. He remains locked up at Wende Correctional Facility, near Buffalo, N.Y. He has been denied parole eleven times. His next parole hearing is scheduled for August of 2022.
