First and Last (2018–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Karma a Motherf**ker - full transcript
Hours from release, Amy shares her unique perspective on jail time, and Gwinnett officials discuss what they've learned about young inmates.
You know, you a pretty boy.
Uh-oh. There he go.
There he go with that.
Baby Jesus. He's bouncing on us.
I'm taking off on you folks.
I already got a job
waiting on me on the outside.
Get out of here
and stay out of here, Boo.
Gotta meet each other outside,
stop meeting up in here.
Yeah.
I can't mess up again.
Because, if I mess up one more time,
No parole, and it's ten years prison time.
♪ Every single person is free ♪
The most emotional part
of this job is seeing
the young seventeen-year-olds coming
into jail.
♪ Mother don't ♪
♪ Cry for me ♪
♪ I done chose ♪
♪ The life I lead ♪
The first day
I walked into admissions, I was scared.
It smelled like depression, anxiety.
It felt like a bad dream.
I look at this
as an experience, because I am young.
I have life ahead of me
and I don't want to keep coming back here.
It's difficult to see some of the young
adults come into our facility,
knowing that there's a potential
for a wasted life.
It really make you lose yourself.
It seem like time is nothing.
I'll have you all stand up
and walk down the hallway.
This is my first time
being in Gwinnett County jail.
'Cause all my other charges have been
juvenile.
It's my first time
getting locked up for...
- Like...
- Some serious shit?
Nah, nah. This is my first adult charge,
I had just got my probation exterminated
for juvenile, that's it.
So this the first time
I've been in County.
Oh, okay. From a jouvey.
Where they pick you up at?
I don't even know, nigga. We was just...
I was riding back from the mall,
and they get me, my girl, her sister,
one of my niggas... We was smokin'
and threw the blunt out the window.
Talking about, we see "twelve" behind us,
"put the strap in the trunk,
put the clip in the trunk
put all the zans in the trunk,
all the weed in the trunk."
They pulled us over for the bumper.
They found one .380 bullet laying
on the floor.
And they was like,
"Oh, we're searching through everything."
Nigga, they lifted up...
Or they popped the back seats open,
and then they popped the trunk,
and they just found all that shit.
And then they were trying
to arrest all four of us,
and I wasn't finna let my girl
and my nigga go to jail for some bullshit.
So I was like, "This is mine."
I sat here and rode around with
14 zans and a gun on me,
and got pulled over,
and decided to take the charge to myself.
Well, of course I'm gonna do that,
because I'm not gonna let
someone else take the charge for me.
That's not what I do.
That's some G shit, I will say that.
That's some G shit.
I'm just saying
that's some real shit, bro!
- You going home tomorrow night?
- Tonight.
Is that right? Congratulations.
Thank you!
Done with it once and for all!
My name is Amy Middlebrooks.
I'm 54 years old
and I live in Athens, Georgia.
I'm going home tonight.
I live with my son and his girlfriend,
and we got a couple of roommates,
and my husband.
And then my daughter lives in Snellville
and I'll stay with her off and on
to help her babysit when she goes to work.
Do your best to stay out of here.
Oh, yeah.
It's all done and over with now.
Can you tell me
how you ended up here?
Well... That's kind of tricky. Um...
I got a speeding ticket...
a year ago, January.
1st court date and our car broke down.
My second court date, my car ran 48 hours
and it broke down again.
So they put me on probation.
23 hours of community service.
We didn't get the paperwork right away.
The woman wasn't really
affiliated with them.
In August, my son bought a car.
The tag was expired,
got pulled over for the expired tags.
Found out my license was expired...
Then, our roommate's car broke down...
So that left us with...
take the 30 days...
So, the judge ordered me to do 30 days,
and I done 15 because you get two for one.
So that's why I'm sitting here.
You come across the other Joker,
just pull it out.
For me, jail was scary to start with.
It's all in how you look at it.
Oh my gosh!
I look at it like it's a little vacation
away from all the drama on the outside.
That's my little getaway, and...
You won!
- Thought I didn't have 8. I did, though!
- Shit!
My husband, he'll be glad
when he sees me, but...
I can't say I'm all that glad to see him.
You know, I do need my peace
once in a while, just to keep
a strong mind.
- Hey, hey! Listen, now.
- Oh, we're sweet!
Real shit, tho.
When a wolf smile,
you see his teeth, don't you?
So that let you know that...
That the instinct is in him.
If you push him in a corner,
what his he gonna do?
He gonna bite.
And I was put in that corner.
And when you living that lifestyle,
you have to be all the way real
with that shit.
You can't have no heart.
'Cause if you have heart,
love will get you killed.
Hey, we been... we want a purge, man.
We want a purge.
♪ Such a long, long way from home ♪
This is my first day here.
For violating my parole.
I did ten years
at the Alabama Correctional Facility.
I left Birmingham, Alabama
without really telling my parole officer.
You don't supposed to leave the state
without you being off of parole,
or getting permission
from your parole officer.
Didn't know I had no warrant on me,
for this shit.
So the police jumped down on us,
you know, standing on the block, you know.
In front of the store.
And, uh, the police jump down
and ran my name,
and it said I had a holding warrant.
- Mayweather, Miller.
- Yeah.
If you're in jail
at the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office,
and you have a hold for another state
for a parole violation,
then you would be charged
as a fugitive from justice.
The state that has the warrant on them
is responsible for providing a transport
to bring that person back
to the other state.
Generally, it's around 14 to 20 days
they are awaiting transport
to the other state.
I had to leave Alabama.
'Cause I know if I would have stayed
in Alabama, I would've had to carry a gun.
You see what I'm saying?
'Cause once you're a gangster,
a gangster always carry a gun.
I don't even think
that I might live to see 40
when I go back to Alabama, man.
All right, step in, face the back.
Hold your bits above your head
if you have to.
♪ I can never be timid
Start to the finish ♪
♪ Even through the blemishes
My heart is replenished ♪
When I walk out, the first thing
that come to my mind is "don't come back."
And I'm gonna change my group of people,
my friends, sorry to say to y'all.
Yes, I'm changing y'all.
Biggest thing for me is getting
to hug and kiss both of my kids
and tell them that I love them
and that Daddy's not going anywhere.
This is not a place for me, so yeah,
this is this is my last rodeo right here.
♪ I really can't pretend this time
I'm sorry, Lord ♪
♪ But this time revenge is mine ♪
♪ So be afraid
'Cause this is your big payback ♪
Can't wait to be free.
It's like one mistake can mess you
all up.
The first time I got caught,
it was possession marijuana.
Second time it was possession
of a controlled substance.
It was a felony.
They gave me
three years' probation for that.
I just been in and out after that.
Once they get you once,
it's just like a yo-yo effect.
It'll come back and get you.
This is my last chance
because if I get busted again,
I could go to prison and do,
probably up to ten years for...
for the charge that I have.
Some inmates here get probation.
It could be from several months
to several years on probation.
They have guidelines they have to sign.
To say that "I agree that I'll go
by the terms of this probation."
And if not, I can be put back in jail
for the full term
of that original probation.
I was doing good
in school with freshman,
sophomore, junior year,
doing my best I can.
And then senior year comes and...
started doing weed. And...
fell in with the wrong crowd.
You start following their ways,
using drugs and stuff like that.
A lot of people get away with it,
so, like, why don't I do it?
The main fear I have right now
is going back to jail.
Every day I think about that,
and it's scary.
Last name Chambers?
I need to stand in that yellow box, okay?
Let me have your full name
and your birthday.
- Jeffrey Daniel Chambers, 12/08/99.
- Okay.
Okay.
These are your charges, okay?
You have a bond of $3,250, okay?
I gotta pay all that in cash?
If you was to pay physical cash. If not,
can't come up with that whole amount,
you could have a friend
or family member go to a bonding agency,
12 to 50%, that's what they'll charge.
Once you get to the room with the phones,
you can call and get a rate.
So, where do I go?
I go to number 9 right now?
Go all the way around,
go inside door number 8.
It's open for you, okay?
Close the door behind you.
Yes, ma'am.
Hey, how you do this? How you do it?
How you do this?
Press one. One again,
and then you type your number.
Hello. This is a free call from...
Jeffrey.
An inmate
at Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department.
- Yeah, baby.
- Mama.
$3,250.
$3,250.
But for bail, you only gotta pay 15%,
so I just gotta find a bailsman.
Do you need some bond people numbers?
They on the TV right here.
No, no, honey.
They're all up and down 20 right there.
I know, there's one across the street.
You finna come...
in a little bit?
Okay,
first of all, I got to wake up first.
Man, I'm saying,
I don't care what time you come,
just come bail a young nigga out of jail.
Okay. Let me ask you,
where's the money you have?
In my wallet.
Okay. All right.
We're working on it, son.
Well, I see my mom probably, like,
once every...
two weeks.
We used to fight all the time.
And then, I'd just, like, never come home,
and that's when really I started...
Started doing bad stuff.
And everybody in my family
always downs me.
Always thinks of me as the negative one,
not the positive one.
And they always put me down and...
But I can't say shit, really,
'cause look where I'm at. I'm in jail.
I mean,
me and my mom still got good,
good relationship,
I mean,
or she wouldn't be coming tomorrow.
Or today.
But, I mean...
it is what it is.
So, what are you gonna do
when you get out?
I'm going home.
I'm going to my daughter's.
Then your daughter's
gonna come get you?
Yeah, her and Killian and Brett.
Oh, so...
They have to wait
until Brett gets off work.
'Cause Jessica can't drive.
My family relies on me for help
'cause they all know I'll help them
any way they need.
My kids come to me about anything.
And I do mean anything.
My husband can't function without me.
I don't know what it is.
Been married 26 years,
and he's always been like that.
They've got to learn on their own.
- Killian is gonna be excited.
- Oh, yeah, he loves his nana.
- Your husband will be glad, too.
- I ain't going home to see him yet!
He won't even know I'm out
until probably Monday.
So it's kind of like a vacation
away from him.
What's gonna happen now,
I will send y'all to my workers,
I will give you all a room,
you're gonna put whatever things
you have in your room,
come to the room,
and have a seat back right here.
Classifications is on their way up.
Merriweather, 306-B.
- Edgar Miller.
- Yeah.
Maboso, 308-B.
Nugent, 309-B.
- You're the first seat, here.
- Okay.
I'm from Alabama and shit. I'm waiting
on Alabama police come and get me.
Fugitive warrant,
you know what I'm saying?
That parole violation shit.
They might not come get you.
They gotta contact Alabama,
let them know they got you in custody.
They might not fuck with you.
Fuck, man.
I realized, man, I had to, you know,
get the fuck on, you know I'm saying?
Get away from Birmingham, Alabama.
They tried to kill me down there
in Alabama, man.
There's a lot of shit that I won't
talk about, Imma take to my grave.
Somebody might got a hit out on me
right now.
But I just pray and hope
that I don't get killed when I go back.
When looking
at individuals who are older,
who've committed serious crimes,
and then dealing with individuals who...
come in at a young age
and have committed serious crimes,
sometimes you do look at it and go,
Wow. This kid is following
in the same footsteps,
and this could be your future.
I used
to get in the mirror and shit,
and used to be, you know, fantasizing,
you know, with a gun,
looking at myself with a gun, like...
you know, and it made me feel big,
you know what I'm saying?
My earliest experience
with a gun
was probably when I was, like, 14.
It was at the age, 11, 12, hanging out
with the big boys and shit.
It was all about the gun.
Gun was like power.
And respect, you know what I'm saying?
I like
the adrenaline rush of it.
It's kind of weird to say,
but I like the sound of gunshots.
And that's when I diverted over
to gangbanging.
And we went on robbery sprees and shit.
And I used to be the one
that used to want to shoot a motherfucker.
If someone's shooting at me,
I'm... "Whoa!"
And if I have a gun, of course
I'm gonna shoot back, I mean...
That's what I know.
At the age of 13 I had killed somebody.
I killed my first person.
And it felt good,
because I feel like if I didn't do it,
he was gonna kill my uncle.
My mama's brother.
I took a life! You know, and...
people never forget that shit.
Let me see.
Damn! What'd you do, son?
Yeah, I got caught
with a strap and about 15 zans and shit.
Oh, damn.
- They trying to fry a young G...
- At least you got a bond.
Hell, yeah,
that's all I'm saying.
Shit,
you probably gotta pay 15% of that shit.
I don't even know
how much that's gonna be.
I don't know either.
You gotta do the math on that one,
my brother.
You may start conversation now.
Hello?
Hey, look at your paperwork.
Why?
It should show you the...
price of the actual chart,
and where it says "bond amount."
My total bond amount is $3,250.
We have to pay 15% of it. That's $350.
Are you sure?
Mother, the bond amount
is 15% of your total bond amount.
And you talked with somebody?
And that's what they said?
Oh, my God. Come up here,
and come to the jail and...
Nigga bring...
I cannot physically drive up
to the fucking jail.
Don't you understand that? Fine. Bye.
My bond is $3,000, so...
It's really only 15%,
but she's not getting that.
And then she's not always...
like, able to drive,
she's like, handicapped.
I mean, she said she was gonna try,
but I don't think she's gonna try,
I don't think she finna come get me.
Fifteen more minutes, guys.
- What you doing? Getting ready?
- We straight. How long you gonna be out?
- The 18th. This July.
- The 18th of next month?
When I get out,
well, seeing my family
it's gonna be scary.
Before coming in here,
I felt like me and my family
weren't in a good relationship.
I've said things to my parents
that I wish I could take back.
Everything I do it just, like,
brings up questions.
Kicked me out a couple times.
It got to the point where I wouldn't tell
my parents about anything anymore,
because they said they didn't have
trust in me. So I felt like...
you know what I'm saying, let me just do
everything behind their back.
Be good, buddy. No dumbass decisions.
Sometimes, in here,
I talk to my mom on the phone.
I could always hear it in her voice, too.
When she talks to me.
I could just hear her, sad.
And it's not like they they set
a bad example for us, it's just...
sometimes you fall in
with the wrong crowd.
And you go down the wrong path.
I want to get out and show my parents
that I can do it
and I'm not just another statistic.
I hope I get a move on with my life.
- Be safe and don't come back, man.
- Not planning on it.
♪ Momma used to tell me
"Baby, dry your eyes" ♪
♪ I know it’s hard to feel blessed
With all that stress inside ♪
♪ But why fill up your brain
With things you can't change? ♪
It's not as bad as what they think.
The first five days,
I had a room to myself.
I just done went back and had
my little vacation in the jail
'cause it's nice and quiet.
If I violate my probation again,
it's over with for me.
They could even take me to jail
if I ran a stop light.
I can't wait to go home
and see my little grandson, Killian.
He is six and I know he's missing me.
Right now I just want to work
until I can save up enough money
to be able to go to college.
And once you get dressed,
I'll give you the rest of your property.
Okay.
Don't forget your paper, man.
I really miss my family.
My sister is 21.
She loves me. And I've gotten so close
with my older brother.
I'm actually really excited
for them to come.
- There you go. Good luck.
- Oh, yeah.
Still gonna take a little vacation
from my husband and them till Monday
before I let them know.
Breath the free air!
♪ It does no good ♪
♪ It does no good, it does no good ♪
- That's your brother?
- Yeah.
Oh!
What's up?
- You're so black!
- I'm so black?
What's up?
How long was that, five months?
- Yeah, pretty much.
- Goddamn.
Yes, ma'am.
I've got a question.
Do you have a phone I can use?
- Local number?
- Yeah.
Okay. He's already at work.
Can you try
another number for me, please?
Must be on the way to work.
All right, thank you.
Gentlemen, let's have a seat.
Let's make this fast, quick.
I'm ready
to get this shit over with, man.
You know? So I can move on
with my life to the next step.
Deputy Mulkey
and Deputy Smith from Classifications.
Classification is kind of like
the heartbeat of the jail.
Our job today is to classify you
and get you out of here.
We classify them
as far as their security level,
between minimum, medium, and max,
and that depends where they can live here.
And we kind of segregate them
as best we can.
We don't want to put a minimum
with the max.
- What's your first name?
- Edgar.
An inmate who would be classified as a max
is gonna have the aggravated assaults,
aggrivated batteries, the armed robberies.
We got an obstruction charge back in 1999,
possession of a firearm, robbery in 2001.
You were on parole before for robbery.
- The second.
- Yes.
And I had stopped going,
so I violated my parole,
but I didn't catch no other case.
They are gonna try
to manipulate the system.
They know what we're looking for
and they will try to lie.
You ever been in any type of gang?
- No.
- No gang?
There's probably
half the population
in this facility that is affiliated
with some type of gang.
We want to take pictures
of everybody's tattoos
because we want to identify
as many gang members as we can.
And second, we take pictures
for documentation purposes.
So if PD is looking for a person,
and the victim only can identify a tattoo,
then that's a quick identifier.
Gentlemen, take your shirt off.
Identifying the gang members
is the biggest challenge, for sure.
I would not like to put
70 Blood gang members all in one unit.
I would like to spread them out
throughout the jail.
If they're getting numbers,
they have power,
and then they extort the other inmates.
♪ You want a war, show me what's up ♪
♪ Now we're ready to bust in ♪
♪ Take everything
Leave 'em with nothing ♪
- What happened to you, man?
- Got shot.
- Where at?
- Birmingham, Alabama.
♪ Take everything
Leave 'em with nothing ♪
Sometimes these guys are brought
into the gang at teenage years,
when they're really impressionable.
It's the cool thing to do
when you're young,
but once they get older,
they realize it's not all
it's cracked up to be.
I'm 39 years old now,
and it took for me to go
through all this tragedy in my life
to realize that,
hey, man, I got to make a change, man.
Shit!
I got a bullet in me. You understand?
I came from Birmingham, Alabama
with just a dream and $1,200
in my pocket. You know?
I'm safe here, 'cause nobody know me,
and I feel
like I still got another chance, man.
I thought you'd get out.
"Shit, my mama's not gonna pay my bond."
I don't think
she's paying my shit.
I think my nigga who, goddamn,
who was in the car, who was driving...
- He's gonna pay your shit.
- Right.
We want people to be able to bond out.
Normally, after 48 hours,
they'll go to general population.
There's a sense of urgency
to want to get out,
because you want to get back
to what's normal for you.
No one wants to be dressed in
and go to general population,
'cause now they feel like,
"I'm officially an inmate."
As long as I have my street clothes on,
they still have this identity of...
"Hey, I'm getting out.
I'm not staying long. I'm out of here.
I'm not the property of Gwinnett County."
I'm just trying
to get out of here.
Probably call my friends to bail me out.
- Is that Jeffrey?
- Hey, bros!
- Jeffrey, are you okay?
- I need some bail.
No. Y'all niggas finna leave.
I don't care if you're sleepy or what.
You need to wake up.
Fucking Nico said
that he lost his bail money.
Okay, okay. I don't care.
Y'all need to get shit figured out.
Whoa! I have a whole 'nother felony
because of you. The fuck is you saying?
Come bail me out of jail.
The fuck am I supposed to do inside here?
I've never done this, Jeffrey.
I don't know shit about this.
Go get Nico, nigga, and come over here.
We gonna get you out, bro.
We gonna get you out.
All right.
My brother's girlfriend is
talking about trying to get out of here.
And then hopefully, my bail will be paid.
It's a little cramped,
but no handcuffs.
Oh, yeah.
Transporting one female
from the county jail to Snellville.
If a person is being released,
and if they don't have a ride,
we have deputies that are here
that we can provide a courtesy ride.
Oh, I'm happy.
I'm just real glad I'm going home.
- Right here?
- Yep.
Can't wait to see my grandson
and my daughter.
- Hi.
- I'm not coming out.
- You're coming in.
- Were you expecting her?
- Yes.
- Long as you're good, I'm good.
You come give Nana love!
I didn't know
you were out of jail already!
Yes, I am!
All right, I’m gonna put you down.
- I gotta go pee.
- Uh-oh. Go potty.
Okay.
What's for breakfast?
What have you
been eating for breakfast?
An egg patty with a sausage patty,
two pieces of bread, grits.
And you know, I don't do grits.
I know, Mama.
When you don't have communication
with your parents, it just hurts.
Nothing falls into place.
See my mom, she knows everything.
I just need to sit down, be humble.
It's gonna be hard,
but I'll get through it.
You want pancakes?
I want to make my my little brothers
and sisters happy,
and if we're not together, laughing and...
sharing good times, then what is it?
I'm happy now
because he's back and he's changed.
This is my last chance
because if I get busted again,
I could go to prison.
The love of a mother
is always there for her children.
I love you, baby.
I love you so much.
I tell myself,
"Don't go back.
Don't do the stupid things you did."
♪ You can come ♪
♪ Home ♪
Chambers.
All right, you're gonna go
through that doorway right there.
I don't know
what the end is gonna be,
'cause I never know what I'm gonna do.
I might just end up being stupid
one of these days
and going back out there
and doing the same thing.
Hopefully I can better myself as a person
and do what I need to do
to support myself.
I feel like all the shit
that I did it came back to me.
To make me realize
karma a motherfucker.
You see what I'm saying?
What go around come around.
What's happening?
What's up? What's up, Boo?
I don't fear no man,
I don't feel no girl.
The only person
I fear in this world is God.
If God feels like I should get hit
by a bullet today, then rest in peace.
All I can do now
is just get closer to God
while I'm here waiting on them
to come get me
and continue thinking of goals
that I set for myself.
Fresh out the box!
I'm free! I'm free!
♪ It's been so long ♪
♪ Long hard days ♪
♪ They don't say ♪
- It's not a publicity stunt.
- ♪ Gods change my ways ♪
♪ Change my ways ♪
♪ Those evil ways ♪
Waiting on these folks to come come get me
from Alabama, man.
Go on down, man and...
You know what I'm saying?
♪ So I set out ♪
♪ Cross that way ♪
♪ Strike them down ♪
♪ To make them pay ♪
I just think it's weird
to have my mom going to jail, but...
it's just one of things
that happen, I guess.
No, I'm not going back to jail.
Not anytime soon, if I can help it.
I've been here three months,
and I have court next Tuesday.
I guess we'll see
what happens from there.
I could have just not fell off track.
Sometimes I think
I can get away with stuff,
but it's like,
ah, it always comes back to haunt me.
- ♪ You may run for a long time ♪
♪ Run on, for a long time ♪
♪ Run on, for a long time ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
Don't come! You know what I'm saying?
Don't come here, man!
This place is built to break you.
If you go out and make the same choices
when you leave here,
you're gonna be right back here
with no choices again.
Don't keep coming back,
it gets worse every time.
Yeah.
Take it as a learning experience
and grow from it.
♪ Tell the gamblers, the ramblers
The back-biter ♪
♪ Tell 'em that God
Is gonna cut them down ♪
Guess what,
a badass ain't nothing in this world.
Be the good guy. Fuck the bad guy.
You just have to keep telling yourself
that you will get through this,
and that this is not the end.
This is the beginning,
but it's really up to you
what you do when you get out.
♪ For a long time, run on ♪
♪ For a long time ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
- ♪ Hey, girl ♪
♪ Don't lie to me ♪
♪ Tell me where did you sleep ♪
♪ Last night ♪
♪ In the pines, in the pines ♪
♪ Where the sun never shines ♪
Synced and corrected by R.Ambo
Uh-oh. There he go.
There he go with that.
Baby Jesus. He's bouncing on us.
I'm taking off on you folks.
I already got a job
waiting on me on the outside.
Get out of here
and stay out of here, Boo.
Gotta meet each other outside,
stop meeting up in here.
Yeah.
I can't mess up again.
Because, if I mess up one more time,
No parole, and it's ten years prison time.
♪ Every single person is free ♪
The most emotional part
of this job is seeing
the young seventeen-year-olds coming
into jail.
♪ Mother don't ♪
♪ Cry for me ♪
♪ I done chose ♪
♪ The life I lead ♪
The first day
I walked into admissions, I was scared.
It smelled like depression, anxiety.
It felt like a bad dream.
I look at this
as an experience, because I am young.
I have life ahead of me
and I don't want to keep coming back here.
It's difficult to see some of the young
adults come into our facility,
knowing that there's a potential
for a wasted life.
It really make you lose yourself.
It seem like time is nothing.
I'll have you all stand up
and walk down the hallway.
This is my first time
being in Gwinnett County jail.
'Cause all my other charges have been
juvenile.
It's my first time
getting locked up for...
- Like...
- Some serious shit?
Nah, nah. This is my first adult charge,
I had just got my probation exterminated
for juvenile, that's it.
So this the first time
I've been in County.
Oh, okay. From a jouvey.
Where they pick you up at?
I don't even know, nigga. We was just...
I was riding back from the mall,
and they get me, my girl, her sister,
one of my niggas... We was smokin'
and threw the blunt out the window.
Talking about, we see "twelve" behind us,
"put the strap in the trunk,
put the clip in the trunk
put all the zans in the trunk,
all the weed in the trunk."
They pulled us over for the bumper.
They found one .380 bullet laying
on the floor.
And they was like,
"Oh, we're searching through everything."
Nigga, they lifted up...
Or they popped the back seats open,
and then they popped the trunk,
and they just found all that shit.
And then they were trying
to arrest all four of us,
and I wasn't finna let my girl
and my nigga go to jail for some bullshit.
So I was like, "This is mine."
I sat here and rode around with
14 zans and a gun on me,
and got pulled over,
and decided to take the charge to myself.
Well, of course I'm gonna do that,
because I'm not gonna let
someone else take the charge for me.
That's not what I do.
That's some G shit, I will say that.
That's some G shit.
I'm just saying
that's some real shit, bro!
- You going home tomorrow night?
- Tonight.
Is that right? Congratulations.
Thank you!
Done with it once and for all!
My name is Amy Middlebrooks.
I'm 54 years old
and I live in Athens, Georgia.
I'm going home tonight.
I live with my son and his girlfriend,
and we got a couple of roommates,
and my husband.
And then my daughter lives in Snellville
and I'll stay with her off and on
to help her babysit when she goes to work.
Do your best to stay out of here.
Oh, yeah.
It's all done and over with now.
Can you tell me
how you ended up here?
Well... That's kind of tricky. Um...
I got a speeding ticket...
a year ago, January.
1st court date and our car broke down.
My second court date, my car ran 48 hours
and it broke down again.
So they put me on probation.
23 hours of community service.
We didn't get the paperwork right away.
The woman wasn't really
affiliated with them.
In August, my son bought a car.
The tag was expired,
got pulled over for the expired tags.
Found out my license was expired...
Then, our roommate's car broke down...
So that left us with...
take the 30 days...
So, the judge ordered me to do 30 days,
and I done 15 because you get two for one.
So that's why I'm sitting here.
You come across the other Joker,
just pull it out.
For me, jail was scary to start with.
It's all in how you look at it.
Oh my gosh!
I look at it like it's a little vacation
away from all the drama on the outside.
That's my little getaway, and...
You won!
- Thought I didn't have 8. I did, though!
- Shit!
My husband, he'll be glad
when he sees me, but...
I can't say I'm all that glad to see him.
You know, I do need my peace
once in a while, just to keep
a strong mind.
- Hey, hey! Listen, now.
- Oh, we're sweet!
Real shit, tho.
When a wolf smile,
you see his teeth, don't you?
So that let you know that...
That the instinct is in him.
If you push him in a corner,
what his he gonna do?
He gonna bite.
And I was put in that corner.
And when you living that lifestyle,
you have to be all the way real
with that shit.
You can't have no heart.
'Cause if you have heart,
love will get you killed.
Hey, we been... we want a purge, man.
We want a purge.
♪ Such a long, long way from home ♪
This is my first day here.
For violating my parole.
I did ten years
at the Alabama Correctional Facility.
I left Birmingham, Alabama
without really telling my parole officer.
You don't supposed to leave the state
without you being off of parole,
or getting permission
from your parole officer.
Didn't know I had no warrant on me,
for this shit.
So the police jumped down on us,
you know, standing on the block, you know.
In front of the store.
And, uh, the police jump down
and ran my name,
and it said I had a holding warrant.
- Mayweather, Miller.
- Yeah.
If you're in jail
at the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office,
and you have a hold for another state
for a parole violation,
then you would be charged
as a fugitive from justice.
The state that has the warrant on them
is responsible for providing a transport
to bring that person back
to the other state.
Generally, it's around 14 to 20 days
they are awaiting transport
to the other state.
I had to leave Alabama.
'Cause I know if I would have stayed
in Alabama, I would've had to carry a gun.
You see what I'm saying?
'Cause once you're a gangster,
a gangster always carry a gun.
I don't even think
that I might live to see 40
when I go back to Alabama, man.
All right, step in, face the back.
Hold your bits above your head
if you have to.
♪ I can never be timid
Start to the finish ♪
♪ Even through the blemishes
My heart is replenished ♪
When I walk out, the first thing
that come to my mind is "don't come back."
And I'm gonna change my group of people,
my friends, sorry to say to y'all.
Yes, I'm changing y'all.
Biggest thing for me is getting
to hug and kiss both of my kids
and tell them that I love them
and that Daddy's not going anywhere.
This is not a place for me, so yeah,
this is this is my last rodeo right here.
♪ I really can't pretend this time
I'm sorry, Lord ♪
♪ But this time revenge is mine ♪
♪ So be afraid
'Cause this is your big payback ♪
Can't wait to be free.
It's like one mistake can mess you
all up.
The first time I got caught,
it was possession marijuana.
Second time it was possession
of a controlled substance.
It was a felony.
They gave me
three years' probation for that.
I just been in and out after that.
Once they get you once,
it's just like a yo-yo effect.
It'll come back and get you.
This is my last chance
because if I get busted again,
I could go to prison and do,
probably up to ten years for...
for the charge that I have.
Some inmates here get probation.
It could be from several months
to several years on probation.
They have guidelines they have to sign.
To say that "I agree that I'll go
by the terms of this probation."
And if not, I can be put back in jail
for the full term
of that original probation.
I was doing good
in school with freshman,
sophomore, junior year,
doing my best I can.
And then senior year comes and...
started doing weed. And...
fell in with the wrong crowd.
You start following their ways,
using drugs and stuff like that.
A lot of people get away with it,
so, like, why don't I do it?
The main fear I have right now
is going back to jail.
Every day I think about that,
and it's scary.
Last name Chambers?
I need to stand in that yellow box, okay?
Let me have your full name
and your birthday.
- Jeffrey Daniel Chambers, 12/08/99.
- Okay.
Okay.
These are your charges, okay?
You have a bond of $3,250, okay?
I gotta pay all that in cash?
If you was to pay physical cash. If not,
can't come up with that whole amount,
you could have a friend
or family member go to a bonding agency,
12 to 50%, that's what they'll charge.
Once you get to the room with the phones,
you can call and get a rate.
So, where do I go?
I go to number 9 right now?
Go all the way around,
go inside door number 8.
It's open for you, okay?
Close the door behind you.
Yes, ma'am.
Hey, how you do this? How you do it?
How you do this?
Press one. One again,
and then you type your number.
Hello. This is a free call from...
Jeffrey.
An inmate
at Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department.
- Yeah, baby.
- Mama.
$3,250.
$3,250.
But for bail, you only gotta pay 15%,
so I just gotta find a bailsman.
Do you need some bond people numbers?
They on the TV right here.
No, no, honey.
They're all up and down 20 right there.
I know, there's one across the street.
You finna come...
in a little bit?
Okay,
first of all, I got to wake up first.
Man, I'm saying,
I don't care what time you come,
just come bail a young nigga out of jail.
Okay. Let me ask you,
where's the money you have?
In my wallet.
Okay. All right.
We're working on it, son.
Well, I see my mom probably, like,
once every...
two weeks.
We used to fight all the time.
And then, I'd just, like, never come home,
and that's when really I started...
Started doing bad stuff.
And everybody in my family
always downs me.
Always thinks of me as the negative one,
not the positive one.
And they always put me down and...
But I can't say shit, really,
'cause look where I'm at. I'm in jail.
I mean,
me and my mom still got good,
good relationship,
I mean,
or she wouldn't be coming tomorrow.
Or today.
But, I mean...
it is what it is.
So, what are you gonna do
when you get out?
I'm going home.
I'm going to my daughter's.
Then your daughter's
gonna come get you?
Yeah, her and Killian and Brett.
Oh, so...
They have to wait
until Brett gets off work.
'Cause Jessica can't drive.
My family relies on me for help
'cause they all know I'll help them
any way they need.
My kids come to me about anything.
And I do mean anything.
My husband can't function without me.
I don't know what it is.
Been married 26 years,
and he's always been like that.
They've got to learn on their own.
- Killian is gonna be excited.
- Oh, yeah, he loves his nana.
- Your husband will be glad, too.
- I ain't going home to see him yet!
He won't even know I'm out
until probably Monday.
So it's kind of like a vacation
away from him.
What's gonna happen now,
I will send y'all to my workers,
I will give you all a room,
you're gonna put whatever things
you have in your room,
come to the room,
and have a seat back right here.
Classifications is on their way up.
Merriweather, 306-B.
- Edgar Miller.
- Yeah.
Maboso, 308-B.
Nugent, 309-B.
- You're the first seat, here.
- Okay.
I'm from Alabama and shit. I'm waiting
on Alabama police come and get me.
Fugitive warrant,
you know what I'm saying?
That parole violation shit.
They might not come get you.
They gotta contact Alabama,
let them know they got you in custody.
They might not fuck with you.
Fuck, man.
I realized, man, I had to, you know,
get the fuck on, you know I'm saying?
Get away from Birmingham, Alabama.
They tried to kill me down there
in Alabama, man.
There's a lot of shit that I won't
talk about, Imma take to my grave.
Somebody might got a hit out on me
right now.
But I just pray and hope
that I don't get killed when I go back.
When looking
at individuals who are older,
who've committed serious crimes,
and then dealing with individuals who...
come in at a young age
and have committed serious crimes,
sometimes you do look at it and go,
Wow. This kid is following
in the same footsteps,
and this could be your future.
I used
to get in the mirror and shit,
and used to be, you know, fantasizing,
you know, with a gun,
looking at myself with a gun, like...
you know, and it made me feel big,
you know what I'm saying?
My earliest experience
with a gun
was probably when I was, like, 14.
It was at the age, 11, 12, hanging out
with the big boys and shit.
It was all about the gun.
Gun was like power.
And respect, you know what I'm saying?
I like
the adrenaline rush of it.
It's kind of weird to say,
but I like the sound of gunshots.
And that's when I diverted over
to gangbanging.
And we went on robbery sprees and shit.
And I used to be the one
that used to want to shoot a motherfucker.
If someone's shooting at me,
I'm... "Whoa!"
And if I have a gun, of course
I'm gonna shoot back, I mean...
That's what I know.
At the age of 13 I had killed somebody.
I killed my first person.
And it felt good,
because I feel like if I didn't do it,
he was gonna kill my uncle.
My mama's brother.
I took a life! You know, and...
people never forget that shit.
Let me see.
Damn! What'd you do, son?
Yeah, I got caught
with a strap and about 15 zans and shit.
Oh, damn.
- They trying to fry a young G...
- At least you got a bond.
Hell, yeah,
that's all I'm saying.
Shit,
you probably gotta pay 15% of that shit.
I don't even know
how much that's gonna be.
I don't know either.
You gotta do the math on that one,
my brother.
You may start conversation now.
Hello?
Hey, look at your paperwork.
Why?
It should show you the...
price of the actual chart,
and where it says "bond amount."
My total bond amount is $3,250.
We have to pay 15% of it. That's $350.
Are you sure?
Mother, the bond amount
is 15% of your total bond amount.
And you talked with somebody?
And that's what they said?
Oh, my God. Come up here,
and come to the jail and...
Nigga bring...
I cannot physically drive up
to the fucking jail.
Don't you understand that? Fine. Bye.
My bond is $3,000, so...
It's really only 15%,
but she's not getting that.
And then she's not always...
like, able to drive,
she's like, handicapped.
I mean, she said she was gonna try,
but I don't think she's gonna try,
I don't think she finna come get me.
Fifteen more minutes, guys.
- What you doing? Getting ready?
- We straight. How long you gonna be out?
- The 18th. This July.
- The 18th of next month?
When I get out,
well, seeing my family
it's gonna be scary.
Before coming in here,
I felt like me and my family
weren't in a good relationship.
I've said things to my parents
that I wish I could take back.
Everything I do it just, like,
brings up questions.
Kicked me out a couple times.
It got to the point where I wouldn't tell
my parents about anything anymore,
because they said they didn't have
trust in me. So I felt like...
you know what I'm saying, let me just do
everything behind their back.
Be good, buddy. No dumbass decisions.
Sometimes, in here,
I talk to my mom on the phone.
I could always hear it in her voice, too.
When she talks to me.
I could just hear her, sad.
And it's not like they they set
a bad example for us, it's just...
sometimes you fall in
with the wrong crowd.
And you go down the wrong path.
I want to get out and show my parents
that I can do it
and I'm not just another statistic.
I hope I get a move on with my life.
- Be safe and don't come back, man.
- Not planning on it.
♪ Momma used to tell me
"Baby, dry your eyes" ♪
♪ I know it’s hard to feel blessed
With all that stress inside ♪
♪ But why fill up your brain
With things you can't change? ♪
It's not as bad as what they think.
The first five days,
I had a room to myself.
I just done went back and had
my little vacation in the jail
'cause it's nice and quiet.
If I violate my probation again,
it's over with for me.
They could even take me to jail
if I ran a stop light.
I can't wait to go home
and see my little grandson, Killian.
He is six and I know he's missing me.
Right now I just want to work
until I can save up enough money
to be able to go to college.
And once you get dressed,
I'll give you the rest of your property.
Okay.
Don't forget your paper, man.
I really miss my family.
My sister is 21.
She loves me. And I've gotten so close
with my older brother.
I'm actually really excited
for them to come.
- There you go. Good luck.
- Oh, yeah.
Still gonna take a little vacation
from my husband and them till Monday
before I let them know.
Breath the free air!
♪ It does no good ♪
♪ It does no good, it does no good ♪
- That's your brother?
- Yeah.
Oh!
What's up?
- You're so black!
- I'm so black?
What's up?
How long was that, five months?
- Yeah, pretty much.
- Goddamn.
Yes, ma'am.
I've got a question.
Do you have a phone I can use?
- Local number?
- Yeah.
Okay. He's already at work.
Can you try
another number for me, please?
Must be on the way to work.
All right, thank you.
Gentlemen, let's have a seat.
Let's make this fast, quick.
I'm ready
to get this shit over with, man.
You know? So I can move on
with my life to the next step.
Deputy Mulkey
and Deputy Smith from Classifications.
Classification is kind of like
the heartbeat of the jail.
Our job today is to classify you
and get you out of here.
We classify them
as far as their security level,
between minimum, medium, and max,
and that depends where they can live here.
And we kind of segregate them
as best we can.
We don't want to put a minimum
with the max.
- What's your first name?
- Edgar.
An inmate who would be classified as a max
is gonna have the aggravated assaults,
aggrivated batteries, the armed robberies.
We got an obstruction charge back in 1999,
possession of a firearm, robbery in 2001.
You were on parole before for robbery.
- The second.
- Yes.
And I had stopped going,
so I violated my parole,
but I didn't catch no other case.
They are gonna try
to manipulate the system.
They know what we're looking for
and they will try to lie.
You ever been in any type of gang?
- No.
- No gang?
There's probably
half the population
in this facility that is affiliated
with some type of gang.
We want to take pictures
of everybody's tattoos
because we want to identify
as many gang members as we can.
And second, we take pictures
for documentation purposes.
So if PD is looking for a person,
and the victim only can identify a tattoo,
then that's a quick identifier.
Gentlemen, take your shirt off.
Identifying the gang members
is the biggest challenge, for sure.
I would not like to put
70 Blood gang members all in one unit.
I would like to spread them out
throughout the jail.
If they're getting numbers,
they have power,
and then they extort the other inmates.
♪ You want a war, show me what's up ♪
♪ Now we're ready to bust in ♪
♪ Take everything
Leave 'em with nothing ♪
- What happened to you, man?
- Got shot.
- Where at?
- Birmingham, Alabama.
♪ Take everything
Leave 'em with nothing ♪
Sometimes these guys are brought
into the gang at teenage years,
when they're really impressionable.
It's the cool thing to do
when you're young,
but once they get older,
they realize it's not all
it's cracked up to be.
I'm 39 years old now,
and it took for me to go
through all this tragedy in my life
to realize that,
hey, man, I got to make a change, man.
Shit!
I got a bullet in me. You understand?
I came from Birmingham, Alabama
with just a dream and $1,200
in my pocket. You know?
I'm safe here, 'cause nobody know me,
and I feel
like I still got another chance, man.
I thought you'd get out.
"Shit, my mama's not gonna pay my bond."
I don't think
she's paying my shit.
I think my nigga who, goddamn,
who was in the car, who was driving...
- He's gonna pay your shit.
- Right.
We want people to be able to bond out.
Normally, after 48 hours,
they'll go to general population.
There's a sense of urgency
to want to get out,
because you want to get back
to what's normal for you.
No one wants to be dressed in
and go to general population,
'cause now they feel like,
"I'm officially an inmate."
As long as I have my street clothes on,
they still have this identity of...
"Hey, I'm getting out.
I'm not staying long. I'm out of here.
I'm not the property of Gwinnett County."
I'm just trying
to get out of here.
Probably call my friends to bail me out.
- Is that Jeffrey?
- Hey, bros!
- Jeffrey, are you okay?
- I need some bail.
No. Y'all niggas finna leave.
I don't care if you're sleepy or what.
You need to wake up.
Fucking Nico said
that he lost his bail money.
Okay, okay. I don't care.
Y'all need to get shit figured out.
Whoa! I have a whole 'nother felony
because of you. The fuck is you saying?
Come bail me out of jail.
The fuck am I supposed to do inside here?
I've never done this, Jeffrey.
I don't know shit about this.
Go get Nico, nigga, and come over here.
We gonna get you out, bro.
We gonna get you out.
All right.
My brother's girlfriend is
talking about trying to get out of here.
And then hopefully, my bail will be paid.
It's a little cramped,
but no handcuffs.
Oh, yeah.
Transporting one female
from the county jail to Snellville.
If a person is being released,
and if they don't have a ride,
we have deputies that are here
that we can provide a courtesy ride.
Oh, I'm happy.
I'm just real glad I'm going home.
- Right here?
- Yep.
Can't wait to see my grandson
and my daughter.
- Hi.
- I'm not coming out.
- You're coming in.
- Were you expecting her?
- Yes.
- Long as you're good, I'm good.
You come give Nana love!
I didn't know
you were out of jail already!
Yes, I am!
All right, I’m gonna put you down.
- I gotta go pee.
- Uh-oh. Go potty.
Okay.
What's for breakfast?
What have you
been eating for breakfast?
An egg patty with a sausage patty,
two pieces of bread, grits.
And you know, I don't do grits.
I know, Mama.
When you don't have communication
with your parents, it just hurts.
Nothing falls into place.
See my mom, she knows everything.
I just need to sit down, be humble.
It's gonna be hard,
but I'll get through it.
You want pancakes?
I want to make my my little brothers
and sisters happy,
and if we're not together, laughing and...
sharing good times, then what is it?
I'm happy now
because he's back and he's changed.
This is my last chance
because if I get busted again,
I could go to prison.
The love of a mother
is always there for her children.
I love you, baby.
I love you so much.
I tell myself,
"Don't go back.
Don't do the stupid things you did."
♪ You can come ♪
♪ Home ♪
Chambers.
All right, you're gonna go
through that doorway right there.
I don't know
what the end is gonna be,
'cause I never know what I'm gonna do.
I might just end up being stupid
one of these days
and going back out there
and doing the same thing.
Hopefully I can better myself as a person
and do what I need to do
to support myself.
I feel like all the shit
that I did it came back to me.
To make me realize
karma a motherfucker.
You see what I'm saying?
What go around come around.
What's happening?
What's up? What's up, Boo?
I don't fear no man,
I don't feel no girl.
The only person
I fear in this world is God.
If God feels like I should get hit
by a bullet today, then rest in peace.
All I can do now
is just get closer to God
while I'm here waiting on them
to come get me
and continue thinking of goals
that I set for myself.
Fresh out the box!
I'm free! I'm free!
♪ It's been so long ♪
♪ Long hard days ♪
♪ They don't say ♪
- It's not a publicity stunt.
- ♪ Gods change my ways ♪
♪ Change my ways ♪
♪ Those evil ways ♪
Waiting on these folks to come come get me
from Alabama, man.
Go on down, man and...
You know what I'm saying?
♪ So I set out ♪
♪ Cross that way ♪
♪ Strike them down ♪
♪ To make them pay ♪
I just think it's weird
to have my mom going to jail, but...
it's just one of things
that happen, I guess.
No, I'm not going back to jail.
Not anytime soon, if I can help it.
I've been here three months,
and I have court next Tuesday.
I guess we'll see
what happens from there.
I could have just not fell off track.
Sometimes I think
I can get away with stuff,
but it's like,
ah, it always comes back to haunt me.
- ♪ You may run for a long time ♪
♪ Run on, for a long time ♪
♪ Run on, for a long time ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
Don't come! You know what I'm saying?
Don't come here, man!
This place is built to break you.
If you go out and make the same choices
when you leave here,
you're gonna be right back here
with no choices again.
Don't keep coming back,
it gets worse every time.
Yeah.
Take it as a learning experience
and grow from it.
♪ Tell the gamblers, the ramblers
The back-biter ♪
♪ Tell 'em that God
Is gonna cut them down ♪
Guess what,
a badass ain't nothing in this world.
Be the good guy. Fuck the bad guy.
You just have to keep telling yourself
that you will get through this,
and that this is not the end.
This is the beginning,
but it's really up to you
what you do when you get out.
♪ For a long time, run on ♪
♪ For a long time ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
♪ But I tell you that God
Is gonna cut you down ♪
- ♪ Hey, girl ♪
♪ Don't lie to me ♪
♪ Tell me where did you sleep ♪
♪ Last night ♪
♪ In the pines, in the pines ♪
♪ Where the sun never shines ♪
Synced and corrected by R.Ambo