"Let's go, guys." "Come on." "Can I get some water?" "I've been waitin' three hours for some water." "I didn't get my sandwich yet." "I'm hungry." "Sandwiches, gentlemen." "It's about time." "Pass 'em around." "Pass 'em around." "Don't hold 'em." "Settle down." "Pass 'em around." "Hey!" "I didn't get my sandwich." "Man, I'm allergic to cheese." "You want it?" "You think that's cheese?" "I don't know what it is." "Fuck it." "I'll eat it." "Ron, I have to be honest with you." "It's not so good, all right?" "The trial deputy co-signed rehab, but it's downtown that wants no part of it." "It's an election year, so they want to make an example out of you." "But we'll see." "Take it easy." "We haven't even been to court yet." " Know what I mean?" " I concur with much that counsel says." "Ron Decker is intelligent." "He is from a good family, which gives him even less excuse, since he's had every opportunity." "The facts don't indicate this was a hobby, which counsel seems to imply." "The amount of drugs with which he was caught..." "Objection." "We're not talking about hard drugs." "We're talking about marijuana." "This is a serious offense." "And if someone who has had every advantage and opportunity doesn't go to prison, then it would be unfair to send someone who hasn't had the opportunity." "I'm sorry." "This is the last thing I expected." "I can't believe this." "I'm sorry." "I should've been there." "I'm caught in the middle of this business shit, and I'm sorry." "Look at Goldilocks." "Gonna be my bitch." "Yeah, I know." "Yeah, sweetie." "I'll, uh..." "I'll talk to you later." "I love you, son." "Ronnie?" "Yo." "I heard about somethin'." "Uh-huh?" "Some fuzzy-eyed Italian, Florizzi, got himself some narcotics." "Motherfucker's only sellin' on the South Block." "Dopey-looking guy with a big nose in A-section?" "He's slammed, restricted, except for meals." "How much does he have?" "Enough." "That's what Vito says." "Paul tell you about the shit?" "Yeah." "We need to think on it for sure." "Think what?" "Motherfucker didn't kick us down our end." "I'm gonna enjoy taking' his dope." "The plan is to find a way to get him out, get him on the yard." "You're the man with the juice." "Talk to that fat, sloppy guard." "He's not on today." "Yeah, he is." "New bull got sick." "Okay." "Okay." "Let me pick up my tickets first." "Get your tickets, Dad." "Hey, Big Duke Earl, hold up." "Hey, Jesse." "Who do you like..." "Morales?" "You got it." "Can I introduce you to someone?" "Who?" "New guy over there." "He works for me in the wood shop." "He's a fish, but he's all right." "Is he a broad?" "No." "He's a good white brother." "What's he want?" "A show pass." "This is Ron Decker." "Ron, this is Earl Copen." "Haven't been here long, have you?" "No, not really." "It's been about two weeks." "You wanna see the show, huh?" "Well, yeah." "I guess." "I'll see what I can do." "Thanks, bro." "Hey, excuse me." "Also, Earl, sir." "Jesse says you know a lot about law." "Why?" "I'd like you to work on my case." "I mean, I'd pay you." "Maybe if I got time." "Right now I got no time." "All right." "Thanks a lot, man." "Don't push it with him." "You're gonna make me look bad." "Sorry." "George, is Big Rand around?" "He's in the shitter." "I hear you, Earl!" "Tell your mother about it, if you can get the bitch out of the whorehouse." "Don't make me slap you, boy." "What's up?" "I need something." "What else is new?" "Guy named Florizzi in A-section." "I need him pulled for about 15 minutes." "I don't know his number." "Pull him for what?" "Who do I look like..." "the fuckin' warden?" "Say you're interviewing him for office janitor." "He's on restriction because he doesn't have a job." "We only use niggers for janitors." "So, you're a bigot now." "Won't hire a white boy, huh?" "All right." " Just don't kill him or something." " I don't do shit like that." "I bet this is about dope." "I don't do that either." "George, got an extra show pass you can slip me?" "Not without fat ass signing it." "Shit." "I can sign his name better than he can." "Here." "Playin' at this club, Mama Rose's Blues Lounge on the West Side of Chicago." "Paul's on him." "Where the fuck is he at?" "He better not fuck this up, I swear to my mother." "Chill the fuck out, Ernie." "Fuck this "chill" shit." "Check ol' folks, man." "He's got the coldest stroll in the joint." "Where is he?" "He's comin' in behind us." "Make it look like I'm getting jacked up too." "Okay." "South Block, right?" "Who's askin'?" "What's your name?" "Some Italian..." "Florizzi." "Florizzi, that's it." "What's goin' on?" "You like dope and you're not givin' any?" "Don't fuckin' stare, man." "Let's go, let's go." "Get it!" "Get it!" "Mean as shit." "Hey, Jan?" "What's up, sugarplum?" "I met this guy today, shaved head." "Earl Copen." "You know who I'm talking about?" "Earl Copen?" "Mmm." "Sugarplum, Earl Copen and I go all the way back." "We were cell mates together years ago." "I worry about Earl these days." "I'm worried that peckerwood's gonna burn his old ass out." "What do you mean?" "What do I mean?" "All the rage, the anger." "You can't come in here with that same rage and anger you had when you was 20, not think it's gonna blow out your candlelight." "When I first met Earl Copen, Earl Copen was one of the most... dysfunctionary, confused, angry human beings... that I have ever seen or met in my whole life." "I remember one time that Earl had this disagreement... with this big ol' boy who wanted his ass." "Earl wasn't gonna give it up." "I wanna tell you about Earl Copen." "Earl Copen had a set of balls on him from the day he come in this joint." "He knew he couldn't handle this boy one-on-one." "So he went up on a catwalk and got one of them big steel mop buckets." "He filled it up with water." "Yeah?" "When this motherfucker was walkin' by," "Earl aimed at it, dropped it and let it go." "Did it hit him?" "It didn't hit him on the head, hit him on the foot, lucky motherfucker." "Boy couldn't walk right for nearly six months." "Earl could've sliced his ass up too, after that." "He let this boy slide." "That's one thing I like about Earl." "Just show Earl a little tenderness, and he can be a kind human being." "Now, come down and eat my pussy." "You wish!" "Ooh." "You finished typing up that memo on Florizzi?" "Uh, right here." "The roof guard said he made you at the scene." "You were just passing by, I suppose." "Minding my own." "He ran right into me." "Paul and Vito were made also, but he didn't know the others." "And I sure as hell don't." "Oh, sure, I didn't think you did." "And this?" "Two G's of pure junk?" "Florizzi claims this was forced on him by some unknown gang... to be passed along in Section-A." " When he refused..." " He was assaulted and ran away." "I just typed it up." "Retype it." "Leave this shit out of it." "I don't need the goddamn headaches." "Also, tell that bozo gang of yours to lighten up!" "I'm tired of this crap." "Don't you ever want to get out of here?" "You guys like being locked up?" "What's the show tonight?" "Someone's singing." "Leave the report on my desk." "I'm going to chow." "Mmm-mmm" "Let's get the fuck out of here." "No, man, you go." "I'm gonna hang." "Just let the guy sing." "He stinks, man." "I'm talking 'bout your..." "It's a good thing you got the shit back." "How did you get it back?" "Shit." "This is my prison." "Everybody knows that." "That kid, friend of Jesse's?" "Looks like he's got a problem with Psycho Mike." "This guy, he's been talkin' bad about you." "He says you're a snitch." "You gotta take care of it." "That's fucking bullshit." "I don't even know this guy." "I just fuckin' ran it by you." "Be there tomorrow, West Block." "I told him I'd bring you." "My name's at risk here 'cause I've been seen talking to you." "Don't make me come lookin' for you." "Okay, man, I'll be there." "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow." "Oh." "So fucking hot." "I heard about your little ordeal with, uh, Psycho Mike." "What do you think I should do about it?" "What do you think you should do?" "You gotta get yourself a weapon." "You gotta protect your pretty white ass... you wanna survive around here." "Jesus Christ!" ""What should I do?"" "Come hide under my motherfuckin' panty hose, bitch." "You hear me?" "Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine." "You're good." "Ten." "One more set." "Hey, Earl." "Uh..." "I need to ask you about something." "I don't know anyone else to ask, but I need a knife." "Whoa." "Whoa." "I don't just give you a knife." "I don't give anyone a knife I don't know what it's for." "This guy Psycho Mike, he says someone's saying shit about me." "It's making him look bad, and I have to go confront the guy over in West Block." "Think he needs a shank?" "Yeah, stick it in that greasy P.R. motherfucker for trying to run that stale-ass game." "They want to get you to West Block because there's only one bull for the whole building." "Then they're gonna snatch you into a cell and rape you." "Can I get a knife then?" "Don't sweat this one." "I'll go talk to 'em." "No, I don't need anyone fighting my battles for me." "I'm not." "If I thought there was gonna be trouble, I wouldn't go." "I'll be right back." "I'm coming." "Just... hang out." "Kid, you wanna get some hooch?" "It's good home brew." "It won't hurt you." "Excuse me, Mike." "Can I talk to you for a minute?" "Uh-huh." "Listen, I hear some guy in West Block is putting a jacket on Ron Decker." " So?" " So, it's bullshit." "Then why's he been ducking me?" "Makes me look bad." "He ain't duckin' ya." "The kid's got a shiv, wants to stick this punk." "Look, Mike, we can go see this dude." "Bring T.J. and Ponchie along." "We'll straighten it out." "Shit, man." "I'll go pull him up myself." "I thought it didn't sound right." "I'll take care of it." "Hey, I really appreciate it, bro." "Hate to see trouble over nothing." "Right, man." "Right." "This is fuckin' good." "Good shit, huh?" "My papa's recipe." "When you get out..." "It comes out the other end, man." "Yo, Papa, when you get out, blow some my way." "What is it?" "Let's go!" "What the fuck you doin'?" "Got it, got it." "Up against the wall, now!" "Right there, Earl." "That other mess is square." "Thanks." "Shut up, Earl." "No talking." "What came down?" "Someone snitched." "Those two fuckin' bulls headed right up for the mezzanine." "The kid, Decker, tried to signal them." "There was no time." "Hello, Earl." "What brings you around here?" "Nothing good." "Hey, man, I need a solid." "The report on Decker." "Damn, Earl, you do keep things entertaining." "Hey, man." "There you go, brother." "What's this?" "Take it." "From who?" "The Brotherhood." "Don't be worryin'." "I'm with T.J., Bad Eye and Earl." "Everyone appreciated you tryin' to warn 'em." "That was some stand-up shit." "My name's Tank." "Need anything else?" "The mattress is kind of disgusting." "It's got all sorts of fluids on it." "Yeah." "Segregation sucks, don't it?" "I'll see about getting you a sheet." "You're not supposed to have 'em, so keep it under your blanket." "Thank you." "I been in here 16 months." "Ain't nothin' they can do to me." "I just laugh at 'em." "Take care, brother." ""On entry to equipment room, Sergeant Perez... found several inmates in possession of five gallons of home brew."" "Blah-blah-blah." ""Perez believes... inmate Decker was serving as a lookout."" "How do you plead?" "Not guilty." " This report is accurate?" " Except for the fact I wasn't a lookout." "I was waiting for the TV to be turned on in the dayroom next to the equipment area." "You haven't been here that long, Decker." "How old are you?" "Twenty-one." "You had any trouble?" "What do you mean?" "Well..." "There are a lot of animals in here." "Sexual deviants, inverts who might try to pressure you." "If they do, you need to come and speak with us." "A young man, looking the way you do, without a great deal of penitentiary experience, might find himself compromised, might find himself in need of a real friend." "I understand." "Do you?" "Maybe you think you've got a friend already." "He doesn't make advances." "Then you get pressure from somewhere else." "A gang maybe." "Your friend comes in like a knight in shining armor." "Puts his life on the line, so you think." "Next thing you know, drop your drawers, or he'll throw you to the gang." "I'm not gonna let that happen to me." "If you do want to help," "I'd like to be moved out of the furniture factory." "You have to do six months there." "Nobody likes it, but that's the way it goes." "Let's not get into collateral matters, okay?" "Our warning is because you got picked up with some jewels, in case you know them." "Bad Eye Wilson is as volatile as they come." "Earl Copen would shoot piss if he thought it would get him high." "Their whole group is useless, and they get worse every year." "It's not the sort you want to associate with to keep your nose clean and get out." "Am I understood?" "Yes, sir." "Not guilty." "You're excused." "Thanks." "You're excused." "All right, who's next?" "Yo, boy, you were in there a long time, huh?" "What happened?" "Not guilty." "Damn." "Sure was a lot of talk for that." "Yeah, we're goin' down." "What happened with Bad Eye?" "The retained him." "They're gonna review his case in 90 days." "That means he's gonna be down a while." "So, uh, how did you fix my report?" "I retyped that pig-fucker's report, corrected the misspellings, fixed the odd split infinitive, then I just left out the part about... how you banged on the wire cage to warn everyone." "Tasty, Earl." "That's real tasty." "Come on." "Walk with me." "Why are you helping me so much?" "You don't want my help?" "Well, this is just, uh..." "I mean, I'm not a punk." "Well, we can change all that in no time." "You're fuckin' lucky I'm pullin' your coat this way." "Nobody helped me." "I didn't smile for the first two years I was in here." "It was different then." "You could represent yourself if you got in a beef." "But now you need friends." "If you don't, you pretty much... gotta be an impossibly tough guy, or sign on as somebody's punk." "Even that isn't necessarily gonna help you." "Oh, shit!" " Get inside!" " Let's go!" "Who got him?" "I didn't see it?" " Come on." " Get inside!" "Let's go." "Move it!" "Well, the warden may run the prison, but I run the infirmary." "Earl Copen said I should see you." "You're a friend of Earl's, huh?" "What do you need, son?" "Earl said I should ask you for a 30 day lay-in." "Right now they got me in the furniture factory." "Fuck, yeah." "I can see why you might like a lay-in." "Here." "Just let it dangle below the picture." "On the X ray it looks like you pulled your shoulder loose." "Now, hold still." "Whoa!" "You..." "Man, this is embarrassing." "Quit sniveling." "On weekends you got like three million Puerto Ricans... fightin' to get on this court." "They are handball-playin' motherfuckers." "Thought I was supposed to have a shoulder separation." "That starts this afternoon." "Set?" "How is it an inmate can do all this?" "I've done a total of 18 calendar years in this place." "Aah." "God." "I learned how to get things done." "By the way, "inmate's" an insult." "Convict's the term solid dudes prefer." "I'm serious." "Girlfriend?" "Sorry?" "She been up to see you yet?" "Oh, no, not yet." "I haven't been here that long." "Are you Earl's friend?" "Sorry?" "You're a sorry sucker, aren't you?" "I'm Earl's boss." "Are you Decker?" "Yes, sir." ""Yes, sir." I like that." "How's your shoulder?" "You aren't gonna get Earl in trouble, are you?" "He wants me to move you to his cell block." "What if I don't want to be moved?" "Take that up with Earl." "He tells me you're not his kid." "And I don't give a shit if you're his kid or not." "I just don't want to see Earl blow a chance at parole... over some beef that involves you." "Ivan, what are the odds in Decker's girlfriend getting up to see him?" "The bitch probably ain't worth the fucking ink, brother." "Well, look who's back from vacation." "Hey, Jan. How's that shoulder?" "Well, did you miss me?" "Jan, do you mind?" "No, I don't mind at all." "Would you like Mama to hold that teeny-weenie thing for you?" "Fuck it!" "I can't even go now." "I'm sorry, child." "I didn't mean to get you so excited." "You wish." "Listen, you snobby thing." "Anytime you're ready, you just let me know." "Hmm?" "May as well turn around, Jesse." "The blacks have this whole area blocked off." "What's goin' on?" "It's a strike or some shit." "Heard talk of it yesterday." "Is nobody going to work?" "What we ought to do is burn this shithouse the fuck down." "I'll be down for a strike with the spooks as long as I get my licks in." "Let's go check it out." "Whatcha gonna do, huh?" "Whatcha gonna do?" "Come on." "Don't be scared." "Come on over." "We gotta stand together." "We all together!" "We gotta stand together or we'll fall for anything." "We can make some serious changes." "We gotta come together as one." "We gotta strike, not go to work." "Hit them in the pocketbook." "Hey, man." "You know that kid?" "Yeah, I came in with him." "Looks like he's got a daddy." "What should we do now?" "I'd go over there if they weren't mostly black." "Some of my friends would cut me loose if I did." "You know what I mean?" " More education!" " Yeah!" "More classrooms!" "Bigger, better library!" "Yeah!" "We don't have to take these fucked-up conditions anymore!" "We don't have to walk around... in the workplace where the buildings are gonna fall down!" "What is he doing?" "I think he's trying to get in." "I come back out." "You're gonna go in and come right back out?" "I not gonna work." "I gonna come back." "Let him through." "He's gonna get his work slip signed." "He's coming right back out." "Nobody crosses this line." "What the fuck you doing?" "Hey!" "What you doin'?" "Oh, my God!" "They're fucking killing him." "This is getting fucked." "All inmates form a line inside the gate." "Where you going?" "Word is some dude got stomped to death in the work yard." "He crossed the line." "He was trying to get his slip signed by the supervisor." "He was gonna be released tomorrow." "He should've fucking waited!" "Now he's going out in a box." "Fuck them niggers!" "That shouldn't have happened." "They want fucking trouble, they're gonna get it." "Fuck the strike!" "That's exactly what the bulls want, to turn this into a race riot... so one, two, three they can start shootin'." "You have one minute to form a line inside the gate." "Listen, hang out here." "There's something going down." "There's no guards on the grounds." "That dude probably owed him money." "You have 30 seconds to form a line inside the gate." "Open the fucking door and let us in!" "This is your last warning." "Form a line inside the gate." "You have 30 seconds to form inside the gate." "Let's go!" "Let's go." "Keep moving." "All inmates inside the yard up against the wall." "Lockdown!" "Let's go!" "Goin' down!" "Everybody, this is gonna be a lockdown." "In your own cells." "Lockdown!" "Everybody in." "Let's go!" "Lockdown!" "Goin' down both sides." "There's a lock-in head count." "Everybody, go on in." "In your own cells." "Hey, bum, you ready to go to work?" "How many are coming out?" "Captain's clerk, kitchen workers." "I can pull you out if you want." "You know the convicts run the prison." "I'd rather wait." "Ruin my image to be among the first unlocked... after what happened." "Oh, my life has not been a picnic, let me tell you." "Ever since I was young, it's been hell." "None of my dreams ever came true." "When God put me together, He made it fucked up." "He made a bad mistake." "I don't need this big ol' cock." "I'd just as soon cut it off." "The next lifetime, I'm just gonna be the girl next door." "I'm gonna tell you something." "If I had wings," "I would be a butterfly and just fly out the motherfucking window." "I would fly across the ocean." "You know where I'd go?" "Where I've always wanted to go." "I always wanted to go to Paris, France." "Ain't no motherfucker in here been to Paris, France." "I read books about it." "I would love it." "It's so pretty there." "Decker!" "Get dressed." "The "Lieut" wants you." "I would land on a beautiful cherry blossom tree on the Champs-Elysées." "I would sit up on the cherry blossom tree... and I'd watch all the pretty French boys walk by, and I would say," ""Hey, you." "You go get Mama a caffe latte... and jelly doughnut, s'il vous plait."" "And they would wait on me, and be polite to me and take me to pretty places." "Lieutenant?" "Won't see a steak like that in prison, except maybe in a magazine ad." "Had to feed the emergency crew so the watch commander got authorization to open the boxes." "When a box is opened, everybody eats." "Go ahead." "It's gonna get cold." "You're welcome." "Thanks." "I'm gonna try and get you a job as a barber." "Half of knowing how to do time is gettin' the right job." "I don't know how to cut hair." "You better figure it out because some of these maniacs... get very pissed if they get a bad haircut." "What's the other half?" "Where you live." "My boss tells me you're not sure about moving." "You know what, man?" "I feel..." "I feel really, like, paranoid." "I feel like I have to hold one hand over my dick and the other over my asshole." "This thing in people's eyes." "I mean, if you're friendly, it's in everybody's eyes." "Look, I'm not scheming you." "Not one bit." "Of course, if I'm to be completely truthful," "I probably wouldn't help you at all if you were ugly." "But that's my problem, not yours." "The little I've seen tells me you're neither stupid nor weak." "Man, I'm just not in my element in here." "I know." "Best way to explain this." "It's a need..." "to feel something." "Something I don't get from Paul, Vito or T.J. I love those guys, but... it's different." "This is different." "It's not about fuckin' you." "I could've done that already if that's all I wanted." "Last thing I want is for you to get a jacket as a punk." "You do and you carry that wherever you go, any prison you go to, even 20 years from now." "All a convict has is his name among his peers." "Remember that." "You assume I'm gonna come back to places like this?" "You might." "Most of us do." "Why did you?" "Let me ask you something." "Are you gonna go back to selling weed?" "To selling coke?" "I don't know." "That's not something I've really thought through." "Does that make you mad?" "What?" "The fact that I'm not a diehard thief?" "No, it doesn't make me mad." "It really doesn't." "Looks like Iron Man's got himself a new old lady." "Lookin' pretty good too." "Shit." "If he was white, he'd be my punk." "Ask him." "Maybe he'll sell him to you." "Shit." "There won't be nothin' left but his fuckin' shoelaces." "Ron, you better hope Earl don't get horny." "Better hope I don't get horny." "Wow, nice pad!" "This shit looks better than where I lived in the hood." " What makes you so special, huh?" " Close it up." "Oh, man." "Don't read that bitch." "Police state apologist." "Here." "New translation." "Very hip." "So, I found out some info on Mr. Harrell and that gig at the education center." "Uh-huh?" "He's not a fruiter." "Or if he is, which is what I think, he's not aware of it." "Anyway, he's solid, and he'll work as a mule for letters and shit... for whoever is his clerk." "You think I should take the job?" "Absolutely." "It'll help earn points with the judge." "Oh, shit, I almost forgot." "Check this out." "What's this?" "Legislature passed a new bill." "The judge has 120 days to call back and modify any sentence under 1168." "If the judge doesn't modify it..." "Then you don't come before the boards for five years." "You better fly a kite to that mouthpiece and see what he says." "All right." "Does anybody have any thoughts or questions on the program?" "Anybody?" "Okay, look." "We are gonna break the program down in three sections." "In the beginning, Mrs. Hamilton... wanted to try an experiment with the class... to illustrate the ways in which prejudice begins." "She divided the class into two sections." "All right, we'll continue this tomorrow." "Don't forget your reading assignments." "Ron, I wanted to ask you something." "Yeah." "We have a group here." "Meets one Sunday every month." "We talk to juvenile offenders, try to let them see the reality of prison." "Yeah, I've heard of it." "I was hoping you'd like to join us this Sunday." "That'll be fine." "Great." "You would add a lot to the meeting." "Plus it would look good on your report when you see the judge." "Okay, yeah." "So Sunday." "10:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. I'll be there." "All right." "See you around." "Oh, man, that's beautiful!" "Paul said he'd be here." "He raises today." "He'll be madder than a motherfucker if we don't give him his issue." "That's for you and T.J." "I'll take care of Paul and Ron." "No, man, I'm okay." "Shit, youngster, this is the only thing suppresses the pain." "Ahh... you take mine, old man." "Gift from the younger generation." "You wanna give me a gift?" "Put it right there." "Hey, you can't fuck me, and you can't give me no head, Earl." "Uh-oh, do not say that." "I'll do whatever I want with you." "Who wants to go first?" "No, no." "You'll bust him in half." "I'll fuck that kid." "Damn." "That bitch still fighting it?" "I thought you'd have him lovin' it by now." "Hey!" "Not fucking funny, man." "Where's the dope?" "What do I see over here?" "Here." "Welcome home." "How's Bad Eye?" "Oh, Bad Eye, he's..." "He's a fuckin' rage all the more fuckin' time." "They ain't gonna let him out... for three months at least." "And then I hear rumors he's getting transferred upstate." "How's that new job, Ron?" "It's good." "It's all right." "That's good, man, 'cause if you fucked my hair up one more time, I was gonna kill ya." "Someone said Sheik Thompson got killed." "There must've been like..." "10, 12 attempts on his life." "That was stupid." "If you want a murderer, dial 976-Mexican." "They said a bunch of guys waited with baseball bats." "Busted up his knees, then stabbed him over 30 times." "When they marched the guys who did it across the yard, everybody started cheering." "Even the bulls were smilin'." "Nobody liked that motherfucker." "He was tough." "Toughest motherfucker I ever met." "Whoa." "What's that?" "Oh, shit." "Party's over." "I'll see you guys on the yard." "I got something for you." "I worked on it last night." "What's this?" "That is the psychiatrist's report." "No way." "Just read the last sentence." ""This young man represents a minimal threat to the community." "I recommend a short jail confinement as part of the probation program."" "When we get word from your lawyer, we'll mail this out... via Mr. Harrell, bypass the prison censors." "If the judge can keep you under 1168, then I predict a quick release date." "Well, if I get out," "I'm gonna be so fuckin' in debt to you, Earl." "You'll forget me." "That's standard shit." "There's a curtain between in here and out there." "Don't say that." "When I get out, you can have whatever you want." "Shoot dope every day." "Drive a fuckin' Cadillac around the yard if they'll let you have it." "I know you won't forget me." "But don't get busted." "If you come back here, I'm fuckin' you." "Remember that." "Oh, you sure look fine." " Are you fuckin' crazy?" " Watch it, bitch." "I'll whoop you good." "If someone told you I'm a punk, you got told wrong." "Fuck all that." "I've been watching you." "I seen you talkin' to that ugly dude with the shaved head." "Is that your jocker?" "I'm going back to court for modification." "I can't use any trouble." "There ain't gonna be no trouble..." "long as you give me a play." "Don't fuck with me!" "Easy, baby." "Easy, baby." "Easy." "Listen, I'm gonna loosen you up a little before I give you the jackpot." "Ron, are you okay?" "Ron?" "Looks like you got jockers right and left watching' out for you, boy." "Hey, Earl." "Hey, Buzz." "Your little partner just got a piece out of the clavo." "He's in his cell." " What's to it?" " I'll handle it." "I said I'll handle it." "You'll be out on the street in a hot minute." "What the fuck you doing pulling a shiv?" "You don't wanna know." "You wanna stick somebody, fine." "But don't do it like this." "You're too hot." "Something'll go wrong." "Just tell me what happened." "This is routine shit." "A good stompin' will do the trick." "There he is right there." "Mmm." "Did four years in 'Bama, six in Huntsville... and three more in Florida." "What for?" "Rape and robbery." "Fuckin' raped a 71-year-old lady." "I've seen him around, but not with anybody that's trouble." "This guy's prehistoric." "He's a chump." "He's a fuckin' human throwback in evolution." "All right." "Just don't do anything without me, asshole." "You've got about as much time left as a mosquito has pricks." "So don't fuck this up." "Let's go!" "Keep walkin'." "What's goin' on?" "Gotta drive on some fool-big hillbilly's been fuckin' with Ron." "Ron?" "I just seen him go to the gym." "Oh, shit!" "Shit." "Looks like I got pussy comin' to me." "I guess I am the boss jocker." " You gonna fuck with me?" "I'll put you in surgery." " Shut the fuck up!" "Well, looky here." "Your daddy's here." "Or maybe he's the punk." "Shit, man." "Maybe I'll fuck you both." "Oh!" "Fuck!" "Cut his throat and slit it so he don't snitch." "Do it!" "Let's fuckin' go!" "Do it!" "Let's go!" "Drop that knife!" "Go to your cell." "I think we'll be all right." "Earl, hang in." "We need reports typed." "Another stabbing." "Oh, yeah?" "Who got it?" "No name yet." "Is he dead?" "He was on a gurney when I got the call." "He's still kickin'." "I'm gonna get cigarettes." "I'll be right back." "What's goin' on?" "Up against the wall, asshole!" "We got you now." "Spread 'em." "What's happening?" "I don't know." "They won't even tell me." "Don't push me, chump." "If it's serious, ask to see a lawyer." "Shut the fuck up!" "Man, fuck you!" "What are you gonna do, kick my ass?" "People have been doin' that for as long as I can remember." "You ain't nothin'." "Have a seat here." "They want his clothes and his shoes." "Hey, Earl!" "Earl Copen just came in." "I need your shirt, shoes and pants." "What's up with you?" "I heard someone got stuck in the gym." "How bad?" "He's paralyzed." "Everything but his mouth." "Snitchin' motherfucker, huh?" "You got it!" "Can you get word out about how this fool is snitchin'?" "Name's Buck Rowen." "Who?" "Buck Rowen." "You got it." "First thing in the morning." "Thanks, man." "Hey, Earl." "Lookin' pretty slick, homes." "Take a seat." "I'm Jerry McDonald from the district attorney's office." "How you doin'?" "Fine." "How's your mother?" "Told you this one's a wise ass." "He'd think it was a joke till he walked to the gas chamber." "Only then we'd probably have to carry him with shit running down his pants." "I'll get to the point." "Buck Rowen, as I'm sure you heard, is a paraplegic." "He signed a statement saying he had an argument with Decker about some schoolwork, and you involved yourself in it." "He said he'll testify." "We also found traces of blood on your shoes." "O-positive, same as Rowen's." "Same as mine." "I cut myself shaving." "What type blood is your boyfriend, Decker?" "What's the matter, Counselor?" "I'm just gettin' up to go." "Man, take me back to my motherfucking cell." "I'm innocent." "If you think you got a case, book it down, take it to the jury." "You think we should book him?" "Let's do it." "Earl." "Thanks." "I'd have been here earlier, but they found Buck Rowen dead at the hospital." "Dead, huh?" "Seems somebody spiked his I.V... with cleaning solvent and roach powder." "They're talkin' about transferring you to Laurel." "Yeah, what's up with Decker?" "He's going back to court tomorrow." "You were gonna make your parole too." "Lock him up." "Mornin', Earl." "Yeah." "I need you to sit your asses down up against this wall." "Look, ladies, shut the fuck up!" "I don't have a place to put you yet." "Have a seat." "Uh-uh, no socializing." "Sit down!" "Sit down." "Tuck your feet in." "Come on, we don't have all day." "Tuck your feet in, I said." "Have a seat." "Tuck 'em in, and settle down." "Y'all, shut up." "It states that you are a member of a violent criminal clique within Eastern State." "Save it, okay?" "Ron..." "Fuck it." "I just get this now." "Talk to me." "You're a dead waste of money, all right?" "I'm a dead waste of money?" "They're wrong about this shit." "I'm not..." "Please take me back to my holding cell." "Mr. Decker, I've read the report from the prison officials, and I believe you're a dangerous man." "Whether you were already that or became so in prison is immaterial." "The main issue here is the protection of society." "And I know by returning you to prison," "I will be protecting society for at least five more years." "God, man!" "You know what, just fuck off, man!" "That's enough." "Put your hands behind your back." "Your Honor?" "Your Honor?" "Jesus!" "What the fuck?" "Hey!" "Get the damn gurney!" "Earl, what the fuck are you doin'?" "Hurry up with that damn gurney!" "Let's go!" "Decker." "I can only give you a minute." "Okay." "Thank you very much." "Ronnie." "Ronnie, can you hear me?" "Yeah." "You okay?" "I'm gonna sell the house and get the money to get you outta here." "I'm not gonna let you rot in here." "I'm not." "You're just not you anymore." "Oh, I brought these." "I thought you might wanna keep these." "Okay?" "You remember these?" "You remember when we took these?" "Your mom?" "Can I give these to my son?" "No, sir, I'm sorry." "I can't give these to my son?" "No, sir." "Can you give them to him?" "No, sir, I can't do that." "Now, I have to get him ready for the bus." "I can't give these to you." "I'm gonna get you outta here." "I'll get you outta here!" "I love you, Ronnie." "Bye." "Oh, well." "Struck out in court, huh?" "Yeah, fuck it." "Should've cut that fucking hillbilly's throat, though, when I had the chance." "I've been thinkin'." "I've had a lot of fuckin' time to think." "What's up?" "If I had a way out, would you wanna try for it?" "Fuck, yeah!" "Well, do you have a way?" "No, not yet." "And we'll be in segregation for at least a while." "But I know I can find a way." "Nobody knows this place better than I do." "That's why I pulled that crazy act." "I had to do something to keep 'em from sending me to Laurel." "They don't have a psychiatrist there." "See, nobody's ever escaped from Laurel." "But half a dozen have from here in just the past decade." "Come on, man." "Let's do it then." "The other thing is, we need help from the outside." "My dad." "I'm sure he'd do it, man." "It's killin' him I'm in here." "Used to be you could disappear." "Start life over again." "But now, the fuckin' pigs have established... an almost international police state, all on computer." "Gentlemen, let's go." "Line up." " There's still places you could go." " Get a move on." "Stoneface is transferring out." "He'll be gone as of next month." "No shit?" "Wanna guess who the next associate warden is?" "Angie Dickinson?" "You wish!" "Miles Coburn." "Miles Coburn?" "Yeah, I thought you might like that." "Man, my first stint here, he was a rookie guard right here in segregation." "He was attending night school and I wrote his English term paper." " He got a B-plus." " Well, no doubt you bitched because it wasn't an "A."" "Fuck, yes." "Might be some changes around here pretty soon." "That would be very fuckin' nice." "Yeah, for all of us." "Damn!" "Thought they were never lettin' you out, homes." "It's just I didn't wanna come out." "Hey, this is my homeboy Wayne." "Ah, we talked through the shitter." "That's right." "Ronnie's already out, homes." "Got him workin' as a painter." "Oh, man!" "What about you, man?" "I hear Seeman's got himself a new clerk." "Give me a couple of weeks, I'll work things out." " This is my damn jail!" " Hell, yes." "Why don't you follow me?" "I got a bag of stuff for you." "Lead the way, brother." "I'll go talk to Seeman." "I heard the librarian needs an assistant." "What about you?" "I'm gonna go see Miles Coburn." "I got long juice with the guy." "He'll set me up." "That's great and all, but..." "I really wanna get outta here." "Were you bullshitting me about escaping?" "Fuck, no!" "I'm thinkin', believe me." "I know what doesn't work, which is an advantage." "The other thing we got going for us is nobody's tried it for a couple of years, which means security gets a little lax." "You know what my dad says?" "He knows this guy in Costa Rica." "Yeah?" "Runs a parrot farm." "So if you get us out, he'll set us up." "I'm down with birds." "I'll get us out." "Associate Warden Coburn's office." "Yes, sir, I'll give him the message." "Earl, I have a couple of pages I'm supposed to send to the Penology Review." "Some shit about how I view the promotion, what it's like working under Cutler, how I view three strikes and race issues, escapes, all of it." "Want me to knock something' off?" "Yeah." "See what you come up with." "You know how I hate writing that shit." "I'll get right on it." "All right." "It's all clear." "Furniture truck won't work." "There's the possibility of making false bottoms or false gas tanks, but only one guy gets out that way." "Plus, making 'em draws too much attention." "We can't do it." "I want something we can do." "Smuggle a letter to your dad." "Tell him not to visit." "That would cause him heat as soon as we escape." "Just tell him a move is gonna happen in a couple of months." "Jesus fucking Christ!" "Fuck off." "Let me go, man!" "Let me go!" "What provoked this, Copen?" "I got nothin' to say." "There you go, ol' folks, you'll live." "Should be plenty damn sore." "Thanks, Ivan." "Ready to play some handball?" "Fuck." "Not with this Demerol flowing' into my veins." "Too bad they mix it with Valium." "Really blows the purity of the buzz." "Does this screw up our timing?" "It could if there's a retaliation." "That would put us in lockdown for a long time." "Don't let that happen." "It's not that easy." "Guys will use this as an excuse to attack the first black they see, doesn't matter who." "That's so..." "That's so dumb." "Doesn't it seem to be an act of one loony?" "Probably." "Or maybe there was someone on the grassy knoll." "What?" "Nothing." "Hey, Earl." "What the fuck are you doin' here?" "Can I talk to you for a minute, man?" "What is it?" "That incident today?" "His name is Knowles." "He's a poor, insane fool, Earl." "It was unmotivated, you know." "Was it?" "I appreciate you coming to tell me." "Ain't no reason for retaliation, right?" "Last thing I want, man." "Cool." "Listen up, man." "That thing yesterday?" " It's gonna get taken care of." " Don't." "That guy was just a serious head case, nothing more." "We don't need a war over this bullshit." "I'll tell the Brotherhood, but you know there's already been talk." "You're a very noticed guy, and to have some nigger stick you..." "Look." "Let's get word out to everyone what I said." "Can you do that?" "If that's the way you wanna play it." "It is, my brother." "Thanks." "Let's go, Copen." "Man, now what?" "Come on." "Give 'em hell, godfather." "Whatever it is you did, I know you didn't do it." "His name is Robert Knowles." "Yeah, I can read." "Good for you." "What happened to him?" "What do you want me to say?" "I'll sign anything." "Just let me go to chow." "This ain't no fuckin' joke, Copen." "He was found dead." "Now if this has anything to do with you or your gang... in retaliation for yesterday, you'd better tell us now." "I don't know anything about it." "They nailed that black guy, huh?" "Iron Man or whatever they call him?" "Was he the one that killed Knowles?" "He ain't giving' himself up." "I heard they grilled the shit outta him, and he held his mud." "So, did he do it?" "Or was it one of us?" "I don't know whether he did it or not." "Pretty sure it wasn't us." "Maybe Iron Man did it just to set me up." "So he stabs him five times and throws his body in a garbage truck?" "Let's get some air." "No." "I got work to do." "You go." "All right, everybody, let's go." "Going down for chow." "Line up." "Be on the line, those that wanna eat." "This guy's a hitter, homes." "This guy's a hitter." "Fuck!" "Douche bags!" "Jesus!" "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'." "Where's the kid?" "I seen him." "He's chillin'." "He's been doin' that a lot lately." "Maybe he don't like us no more." "Man, Wayne, fuck you." "Ain't nobody ever liked you anyway." "Mama liked me just fine." "Break it up over there." "If you kept your eye on the ball, that'd be outta here." "Let's go!" "Let's go, let's go!" " Hey!" " Hey, what's up?" "The trash truck." "They don't watch it... 'cause they assume a chump would get crushed like that guy did." "Not a bad assumption since he did get crushed." "Yeah, but he made it out." "You said it yourself." "They found his body in the dump ten miles from here." "Right?" "I thought the plan was to get out alive?" "Listen, fuckhead." "The play is to dive in the back with some kind of brace." "What if it doesn't hold?" "Then we're crushed like bugs on a windshield." "Nobody's ever tried this?" "No." "Crusher stopped 'em." "Ron and me, we're taking off the day after tomorrow." "No shit?" "Day after tomorrow?" "Like I told ya, trash truck." "Man, I'm fuckin' jealous." "What I need is for those two trash truck swampers... to be told, you know, what they should expect." " I can do that." "Me and Super Hunk." " Who's clipping' the weight bar?" " Me and Jesse can handle that." " Fuck, no." "Got it worked out with Ponchie already." "Damn, I hope you guys make it." "I'll tell those two tomorrow night." "The later I wait, the better." "Good." "I'm gonna miss ya, brother." "Give me a hug, handsome." "Boy, you better send me a shit load of dope." "First thing, man." "Get some of the smokes to T.J. You can have the rest." "These bonaroo shirts, they'll fit Wayne." "Some other shit in there and my books, give 'em to whoever wants 'em." "Yeah, thanks." "I hope that fuckin' bar holds." "I read the maintenance manual." "I think it should hold." "You think?" "No guarantees in life." "You ain't goin'." "I'm goin'." "You're not gonna know what to do with yourself on the outside anymore." "All right, line up." "Single file." "Let's go." "Line up, come on." "Earl!" "What the hell, man?" "How could you still be sleepin'?" "I was too nervous not to." "Look, we're the first cell block out." "The truck won't start rolling for at least an hour." "Now go get some hot water." "I'll make some coffee." "All right." "Hey, Earl, Vito talked to those guys on the trash truck." "Everything is cool." " Thanks, brother." " Good luck." "I gotta go back to my cell." "Why?" "Forget your matching Samsonite?" "No, I gotta take a shit." "Fuck, son of a bitch!" "Man, what?" "Fuckin' weight bars, they aren't here." "I don't fuckin' believe this!" "Fuck!" "Son of a bitch." "Earl." "Shit!" "Baby, baby, baby." "Let's go." "Go, go." "Go." "Hey, Marquez, did you take my fuckin' cigarettes again?" "I'll have ya arrested, ya prick." "Trying to help me quit, huh?" "You'd have missed us too much anyway, homes." "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven, right?" "Got that right."