Robert Allyn Goldman

I have a very varied career. I grew up in the Boston, Massachusetts, USA area,

in a suburb (Newton) eleven miles west. I was educated in Cambridge, Massachusetts

at the Browne & Nichols School (before it merged with the Buckingham School,

also in Cambridge). I continued my college education at the University of

Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There I majored in History and

minored in Romance Languages and International Relations. It was a wonderful

privilege to have studied under people of incredible depth and internationally

recognized educators. They were all highly published, but they were always anxious to

share their virtuosity and experiences. Their knowledge was like rare earth,

incredibly deep and radiating brilliance with insatiable energy. For me, it was infectious.

The four years instilled a profound sense of appreciation and interest in cultural

differences, and particularly how they waned and waxed throughout time. Then,

as abrupt as life can be owing to family intercession, I wound up in dental school at

Western Reserve University School of Dentistry (now Case Western Reserve University

School of Dental Medicine). I thereupon finished my training at the Boston University

School of Graduate Dentistry (now the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine

at Boston University). It was no doubt a period of great transition and growth as I

completed my training in three specialties and a Doctor of Science in oral/general

pathology at Boston University Hospital and Boston City Hospital (now merged into

Boston State Hospital). The graduate school in dental specialization (founded by my

uncle) is eponymously known today as The Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine

at Boston University. His work and international; reputation brought money and acclaim

to both the medical center as well as the entire university system. Long after his

passing, at the semi-centennial celebration of the school's founding, I wrote his

biography which capsulized the character interrelationships of famous men whose

reputations brought image and fame to the school. But, it also inspired contrasting

leaders in dental specialties with egos which played out like "a theater of the absurd"

over many years. It makes the book an interesting read, and I recommend it highly

because it is illustrative of any close-knit environment that brings to bear personalities

that clash, some perniciously and with an overabundance of greed and desperation

for power. The egos were insatiable and lacking in perspective. They became

warring, self-promoting, and highly narrow-visioned. One personality trait they all

possessed: elegant proficiency in their respective specialties. But, power and

control were as inveigling as the Sirens in The Odyssey by Homer. This was particularly

notable because Boston in those days was the leading center in the world for

scientific research and clinical practice (post-WWII through the 1970's). In contrast,

my present book, THE SLAMMER, takes me in a completely different direction where

conditions and daily events changed my entire perspective. I have tried to distill the idea

of "mass incarceration" with reasoning for selective "decarceration" and in-depth analysis.

I have arranged the Table of Contents purposely with a breakdown of each chapter so

as to anticipate the subject matter in advance. The book is instructive and topical.

I believe it renders a viewpoint that makes for interesting reading at one level

as well as how it sheds light on matters which should concern those studying

"Criminal Justice" at any level. In any event, I wish you all many thanks

for supporting me as well as enjoyable reading.

Robert Allyn Goldman,