A female inmate falls for a handsome guard. He’s really a former con man in witness protection. Their forbidden flirtations smolder. Verkkoour research explores the social history of rikers from its origins to the present day, in a bid to provide a more nuanced understanding of the island and. Verkkoone of the takeaways of “rikers: An oral history,” a new book by the journalists graham rayman and reuven blau, is the shock inmates feel upon.