Ex-Juvenile Prison Guard Exposes Massive Corruption Inside the System | Damon Shepard

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.9 • 606 Ratings

🗓️ 7 August 2025

⏱️ 87 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Damon Shepard got into corrections to make a difference—but what he found inside nearly destroyed him. Raised by a single mother in St. Louis, Damon was inspired in high school to pursue a career in criminal justice. After falling short of becoming a police officer, he landed a job inside a juvenile correctional facility. But the reality was far from what he expected. Plagued by corruption, drugs, and a toxic environment, Damon was eventually set up and charged with bringing in contraband himself. Forced to resign and clear his name, he now speaks out about the truth behind the system. In this interview, Damon breaks down what really goes on behind bars—and how the people meant to protect can sometimes be part of the problem. #PrisonCorruption #JuvenileJustice #TrueCrime #CorrectionsOfficer #Whistleblower #LockedInWithIanBick #CriminalJusticeSystem #ExposingTheTruth Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Get 50% off the Magic Mind offer here: https://www.magicmind.com/IANB50. #magicmind #mentalwealth #mentalperformance Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Use code LOCKEDIN for 20% OFF Wooooo Energy Buy Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 A Sudden Accusation 00:12 Damon's Background & Early Dreams 01:51 Inspirations and Upbringing 04:16 Family, Education, and Ambitions 08:38 Trying and Failing the Police Academy 13:09 Learning Security on the Streets 17:21 Moving Up: School Safety Advocate 20:48 Lessons from Working with Kids 24:01 Environment and Upbringing in Crime 27:21 Transitioning into Corrections 29:28 Early Days Inside Juvenile Detention 32:22 Trouble Brewing: Drugs in the Facility 39:17 First Major Contraband Incident 44:11 Breakouts and Rising Tensions 52:14 Being Accused & Set Up Again 01:00:28 Corruption & Aftermath 01:08:13 Surviving on the Inside 01:12:27 The Kid's Backstories and Their Impact 01:15:26 What Kids Really Need 01:16:29 Losing Faith in the Justice System 01:19:43 The Problem Runs Deeper Than St. Louis 01:21:06 Moving Forward—A New Purpose 01:22:33 Lessons Learned and Final Thoughts Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:27.3	I get a phone call. The next day, it's the court administrator, you know, call me. a month trial at shopify.com slash setup.
1:28.7	I get a phone call.
1:31.8	The next day, it's the court administrator, you know, called me up.
1:33.0	Oh, well, you're suspended.
1:37.6	We pay an investigation for bringing an inmate drugs.
1:39.2	What the fuck is you talking about?
1:43.4	Damon Shepard grew up in St. Louis with a dream of making a difference in the criminal justice system.
1:44.8	Raised by a single mom, he started in security and worked his way into corrections after falling
1:49.5	short of becoming a cop. But that dream quickly turned into a nightmare. While working in a juvenile
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