I Worked on Rikers Island — Here's Why I Walked Away | Jorge Polanco

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 743 Ratings

🗓️ 19 May 2026

⏱️ 90 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jorge Polanco started his career inside one of the most notorious jail systems in America — Rikers Island. In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Jorge breaks down what it was really like working inside Rikers as a correction officer, why he walked away after two years, and how that experience shaped the police officer he eventually became across Florida, Colorado and Texas. _____________________________________________ #RikersIsland #TrueCrime #LawEnforcement _____________________________________________ 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 Introduction & Early Life 01:19 Family Background and Work Ethic 02:14 Baseball Dreams & Growing Up in the Bronx 03:55 Teenage Influence and Choosing a Path 07:43 Discovering Law Enforcement 10:01 Starting in Corrections: Riker's Island Academy 12:13 First Days Inside Riker's Island 14:33 Experiences with Inmates & Managing Challenges 16:13 Mental Health & Family Impact 18:47 Temptations, Corruption & Integrity in Corrections 22:00 Learning the Hustle & Navigating the System 23:46 Officer Stories & Systemic Issues 26:16 Transitions, Family Struggles & Moving Forward 29:35 Becoming a Police Officer in Florida 31:40 Facing Discrimination and Professional Barriers 33:46 Social Media & Law Enforcement 36:50 Colorado & Different Policing Environments 39:28 Tough Cases & Feeling Powerless 41:21 Finding a Place in Texas Law Enforcement 42:10 Narcotics Detective & Personal Mission 44:20 Persistence, Setbacks & The Path to Success 47:10 Corrections Experience: Preparing for Policing 49:31 Differences Between Agencies & Career Transitions 52:30 Law Differences Across States 53:56 Murder Charges for Fentanyl Dealers 54:59 Personal Connection & Family Impact of Drugs 01:00:34 Parenthood, Family Stories & Personal Growth 01:07:01 Reflections, Goals & Role of Law Enforcement Today 01:09:03 Challenges of Policing in Modern Society 01:12:46 Therapy, Mental Health & Stress Management 01:15:41 Leaving Rikers & Lessons from Corrections 01:18:31 Memorable Inmates, Mental Health Units & Stories 01:21:29 Handling Retirement Across States 01:22:12 Policing in Texas & Drug Laws 01:24:26 Common Crimes & Domestic Violence 01:26:06 Adapting to New Regions & Reflections 01:27:32 Lessons Learned & Closing Thoughts _____________________________________________ To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/LockedInWithIanBicka Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:21.8	Dot-uk-Uk slash podcast to learn more. My guest today started his career working inside Rikers Island,
0:27.4	one of the most notorious jail systems in America, and after two years he decided he'd seen enough
0:32.6	and walked away to become a police officer. His name is George Polanco, and he's seen the system from both sides.
0:44.3	I grew up in the Bronx, New York City.
0:46.7	What was your upbringing like?
0:48.1	It was great. I was born from Dominican parents. I have a half-sister. There's my mom's daughter. It was an awesome childhood.
0:59.1	Having both of them was really good. I think that just learning about, they brought me up
1:05.5	Dominican. So we have that Dominican culture, that we have to go to school, we have to listen to mom, she's the queen.
1:12.9	And I still live that. I still raised my son like that, my daughter as well. And I enjoyed it.
1:20.3	Unfortunately, I lost both of them. My mom died in 2017 and my dad died in 2022. And yeah, it was a great childhood.
1:29.6	And with them working and struggling through life, and I learned a lot.
1:35.0	I learned the positive of going to work and building your life for the future, like they did for me.
1:43.2	What they do for work?
1:44.3	So my mom was a, she was a home nurse, like a home aide.
	...

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