Haas, James: - James Haas is a gifted storyteller and is always quick with a joke. He's a husband, a father, a grandfather, a cherished son and brother, a trusted co-worker and a friend to everyone he has met.After retiring from a distinguished 34-year career as a correctional officer, Jim dusted off the journals he compiled from his time inside the prison walls and this book is a result of that effort. Jim's larger-than-life personality, humor, integrity and love for his fellow humans shines through in his stories of the everyday events that happened on the job. The compassion, caring and respect that Jim showed to others, no matter their station in life, is something we can all aspire to match.Jim is a huge baseball fan and a lifelong New York Yankees fan. Since childhood, he's been an avid sports card collector and is the owner of Spanky's Sports Collectibles. Born and raised in western New York, Jim is a big fan of all Buffalo sports teams: the Bills, the Sabres and the Bisons. As a Corvette enthusiast, Jim is the proud owner of a sleek red Corvette accessorized with a custom license plate that reads: SPANKY. This ride doubled as his modern day sleigh as he joyfully portrayed Santa Claus every holiday season for many years to spread cheer, hope and laughter to kids.Jim is a graduate of Maryvale High School and now lives in Lancaster, New York with his wife Marcia and their dog Duchess. This is his first book.