I Was a Corrupt Correctional Officer — Then I Went to Prison | Robert Rodriguez

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 743 Ratings

🗓️ 26 October 2025

⏱️ 118 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Robert Rodriguez went from enforcing prison rules… to running the prison from the inside. After serving in the military, Robert became a correctional officer in Georgia — stepping into what he describes as one of the most corrupt prison systems in America. As a young officer, he quickly got swept into a brutal culture of violence, cover-ups, and unchecked power. He participated in beatings, witnessed extreme abuse, and says officers were rewarded for silence. Promoted to sergeant, Robert was rising through the system — until one tragic night. A fatal drunk driving accident led to a 14-year prison sentence… and everything flipped. The former sergeant entered the very world he once controlled — now wearing shackles instead of a badge. Inside, Robert didn’t just survive — he became a high-ranking gang member, involved in smuggling contraband, controlling prison politics, and even having illicit relationships with staff. He eventually helped run operations behind bars. #PrisonStories #TrueCrimePodcast #DirtyCop #CorrectionalOfficer #WentToPrison #LawEnforcementTruth #RedemptionStory #LockedInPodcast Thank you to BLUECHEW & GLD for sponsoring this episode: BlueChew: Visit https://bluechew.com/ and use promo code LOCKEDIN at checkout to get your first month of BlueChew & pay five bucks for shipping. GLD: New customers get 50% Off AND a FREE chain with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.gld.com/ Connect with Robert Rodriguez: TikTok @RoyalRodriguez824 Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Shop Locked In Merch: http://www.ianbick.com/shop Timestamps: 00:00 From Guard to Criminal: The Dark Side of Corrections 03:00 Growing Up Rough & Joining the Military 06:00 Why He Joined Corrections After the Streets 10:00 Inside Prison Culture: Violence, Cover-Ups & Lawsuits 17:00 Dirty Officer Tactics & Getting Promoted Anyway 22:00 Corruption Stories They Never Wanted Exposed 29:00 The DUI That Turned a Sergeant Into an Inmate 36:00 Legal Fight, Conviction & Entering Prison as Former Staff 41:00 Fearing for His Life: Protective Custody vs Yard Politics 47:00 How He Gained Respect & Built a Network Inside 53:00 Becoming a High-Ranking Prison Gang Member 01:00:00 Contraband, Paid-Off Guards & Running the System 01:09:00 Sleeping With Staff & Abusing Power Behind Bars 01:16:00 Insane Prison Stories: Survival, Violence & Fear 01:27:00 Losing It All: How Prison Broke His Ego 01:38:00 Life After Prison: Trying to Rebuild & Find Redemption 01:47:00 Final Lessons: What Prison Taught Him About Power Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was a sergeant, so he'd be like, yo, I'm going to head up with him?
0:02.4	Like, you want to let me get a one with him, sergeant?
0:04.0	I used to be like, shit, if he wanted, I go to the officer.
0:06.4	Like, yo, he want to shoot a fair one with you.
0:07.9	You down?
0:08.5	Did you consider yourself a dirty correctional officer at the time?
0:11.1	I already got my reputation now. Like, they know, yo, he's going to put hands on you if you get stupid with him.
0:16.6	If you're willing to lay hands on inmates,
0:19.1	are you also willing to get them contraband if they asked?
0:21.7	Did, like, jump on somebody with, like, five or six dudes.
0:24.5	I did. If you're willing to lay hands on inmates, are you also willing to get them contraband if they asked?
0:21.6	I did, like, jump on somebody with like five or six dudes. I did. He wasn't in handcuffs.
0:26.3	How did you go from correctional officer to an inmate yourself?
0:29.1	Robert Rodriguez once wore the uniform, gave the orders, and used force on inmates.
0:33.6	But after a fatal drunk driving crash, he entered prison wearing shackles and had to survive by becoming exactly what he once locked up.
0:44.3	Rob, welcome to Lockton. Thanks so much for coming on the show today. Of course, of course. Where do you come from, Georgia today or Atlanta?
0:50.9	No, I came from Florida. Florida, okay. You were in Georgia for your prison time.
0:55.7	Yeah, did my time in Georgia. You got a crazy story from correctional officer to Enme. We've only
1:02.4	had a couple of those on the show so far, and every time the audience loves it. Okay, well,
1:07.0	that's a good thing then. Tell us where you grew up. Originally born in Buffalo, New York.
1:12.1	Oh, wow.
1:12.9	Yeah, born in Buffalo.
	...

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