Episode Details

Laquan Rouse grew up in New Jersey associating with gang members without ever joining, was a star athlete who had every reason to believe sports would define his future — until he got shot three times his senior year of high school and had to decide who he was actually going to become. He straightened his life out and became a New Jersey correctional officer, spending three years working the floor inside Trenton State Prison and other New Jersey facilities where he earned respect from inmates, witnessed corrupt guards, and accumulated funny stories and hard truths. Then he walked away voluntarily — and is now sharing why.

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#CorrectionalOfficer #PrisonGuard #PrisonStories #TrueCrime #NewJersey

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Thank you to FACTOR for sponsoring this episode:

Head to https://factormeals.com/lockedin50off and use code lockedin50off to get 50 percent off and 1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year, while supplies last until 10/31/2026.

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Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:

https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en

https://ianbick.com/

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Timestamps:

00:00 Crazy Smuggling Story
00:14 Meet Laquan Roose
00:37 Growing Up in Jersey City
01:13 Family and Upbringing
02:00 Only One in Law Enforcement
02:35 Views on Cops as a Kid
03:04 High School Troubles
04:36 Switching Schools
05:01 Family in Education
05:26 Why Getting Into Trouble?
06:00 Dad's Work Ethic
07:19 Struggle vs. Discipline
08:00 Getting Shot
08:51 Gang or Personal Beef?
10:49 Out at 2 AM
12:18 The Shooting Details
14:30 Hospital and Family
15:27 The Pursuit Continues
16:36 Getting Help
17:33 Wanting Revenge
19:45 Cops Investigate
20:17 Leaving the Hospital
22:03 No Retaliation
23:33 Parents Want Cooperation
24:18 Back to School and Football
27:46 Normal for the City?
28:50 Block Culture
29:18 Family Gang Involvement
29:48 Avoiding Gangs
31:03 Junior College
31:57 Impact of Environment
32:14 Protecting Younger Brother
34:01 Fixing the Community
35:13 Sponsor: Factor
36:52 After Junior College
37:27 Getting into Corrections
39:05 The Pay
39:38 Family Reaction
40:52 The Academy
42:14 Training Scenarios
44:04 Fighting Training
44:19 Dropout Rate
44:48 First Prison Experience
46:00 Super Cops
46:47 Street Guys Turned COs
47:08 Being a Chill Cop
47:25 Trenton State Prison
48:28 First Witnessed Events
49:24 Keeping Things Under Wraps
50:21 Nothing to Lose
52:55 Earning Respect
55:50 Transfer to Rahway
56:11 Past Follows You
56:55 Friend Serving 75 Years
58:39 How Other Officers Treated Him
01:00:13 Corruption Among Officers
01:01:21 Fetty Wap Situation
01:03:41 Young Officers and Old Heads
01:04:07 Respected Inmate: Snowball
01:05:52 Handling Snitches
01:08:00 Craziest Check-In
01:10:58 K2 and Its Effects
01:15:41 Cell Searches
01:17:07 Strangest Things in Cells
01:19:35 Cell Phones in Prison
01:20:42 Food and Contraband
01:23:48 Officer Downtime
01:25:36 Cell Assignments
01:26:34 Shift Differenc