I Was a Prison Guard — Then I Got Arrested | Andrew Gautreau

Feb 1, 2026

Andrew Gautreau, a former correctional officer who became a convicted offender, tells a raw life story of addiction, working at Angola prison, getting arrested in uniform, and later finding long-term sobriety. He recounts training at Angola, hiding drug use on the job, cycling through jails and a work-release program, surviving chaotic federal dorms, and now helping others in recovery.

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ANECDOTE

Training At Angola While Using

Andrew trained for a month at Angola and then worked dorm duty at Hunts Correctional Center.
He attended training while actively using and hid fake urine to pass drug tests.

INSIGHT

Staffing Gaps Create Danger

Dorm COs often stood alone supervising 100+ inmates, creating severe risk and isolation.
Andrew felt constantly endangered and isolated while trying to hide his addiction.

INSIGHT

Prisoners Shared Familiar Backgrounds

Working inside prison blurred Andrew's sense of difference between inmates and himself.
He realized many inmates were addicts or people whose lives

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Andrew Gautreau grew up in a good family in Louisiana, but addiction took hold in his teenage years and quickly sent his life off the rails. After finishing trade school, he began getting arrested for drug offenses — yet somehow still landed a job as a prison guard, training for a month at Angola, one of the most notorious prisons in America. His time on the job lasted just six months before he quit right before being fired, all while being arrested twice for drug charges outside the prison. As his addiction spiraled further, Andrew ended up cycling through local jails and a correctional work facility, where he spent nearly two years behind bars. In this episode, he opens up about addiction, hypocrisy inside the justice system, life on both sides of the bars, and how he ultimately turned everything around and got sober.

_____________________________________________ #PrisonStories #AddictionRecovery #CorruptPrisonGuard #LifeAfterPrison #TrueCrimePodcast #AngolaPrison #FormerInmate #redemptionstory

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_____________________________________________ Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/

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_____________________________________________ Timestamps: 00:00 From Addiction to Prison Guard: A Life on the Edge 01:00 Growing Up in Louisiana and Early Influences 08:00 Family Values, Childhood Trauma, and Identity 13:00 First Drugs, Addiction, and Losing Control 18:00 First Arrests, Criminal Charges, and Consequences 24:00 Escalation: Jail Time, Probation, and Repeat Mistakes 31:00 Becoming a Correctional Officer Against the Odds 36:00 Inside Angola Prison: Training, Reality, and Moral Conflict 42:00 Daily Life as a Prison Guard Behind the Walls 47:00 Drugs, Arrests, and Walking Away from the Job 52:00 Addiction Spirals: Crime, Chaos, and Self-Destruction 58:00 Rock Bottom: Overdoses, Homelessness, and Survival 01:03:00 Getting Sober and Rebuilding From Nothing 01:09:00 Life After Addiction: Giving Back and Helping Others 01:13:00 Lessons Learned, Redemption, and Final Reflections

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