Hurt Lock
In the end of 2005 pair of cops arrested me and my friend next to 2 stolen by us cars which they knew nothing about. After being transported to Chicago police station me and my friend heard charges, it was residential burglary. I had concussion after hitting my head while running away from the scene of the crime so I don’t remember much but shortly afterwards we were transferred to Cook County Jail. I wasn’t scared because I was driven by pain after hitting my head while jumping out of over 2 meter fence and hitting the sidewalk. I was nervous, angry, in pain and on top of everything reckless but I was keeping myself together. I was sent to sorting department of jail, there was fences that surrounded me and other people from gang members and other fenced areas in which Sheriffs were segregating people according to security level they belonged. There was not a lot of space, people were waiting almost next to each other. People weren’t talking to each other, it was visible that everyone was thinking about themselves and minding their own business. I seen a lot of angry people, a lot of gang members behind the fence but it was peaceful somehow. At some point Sheriff said my name and me and my friend separated for couple weeks. I was transferred to department in which i spent nearly 6 months. It had a area with a TV and couple big tables, there was 2 levels in which cells were located and there was around 10-15 2 person cells in each level. When I entered cells I couldn’t believe, there was a tiny desk and a level bunks, there was also a toilet and the sink. Area of cell was so small that second bunk next to first one could barely fit, and cell has lenght in which second bunk wouldn’t fit. I remember that I could barely breath in this cell thanks to the air ventilation and it was very cold out there. I don’t remember my first cellmate much but he was ok, I only remember fact that we was Irish. I said to him that I have a concussion, that I need to rest and I will talk to him when I will feel better. For around 2 weeks i was laying in bed and sleeping, I remember only light of Sheriffs flashlight in the night and the fact that I used the toilet and eated. After 2 weeks i took my first shower, I remembered that I was a little scared be use I was in jail and there was couple black guys around, a scenario I think I’ve seen in a movies. Someone told me that I shouldn’t be afraid because no one have a right to enter and this big shower area is only for one person at the time. I took the shower and I remember it was pleasant, water was hot and I was safe, it was a feeling that I didn’t felt for weeks. For some time, maybe couple weeks nothing happened there. I remember that I barely spoke with my cellmate. After couple weeks I had my first appearance in court to which I was transferred by bus with other prisoners, I was handcuffed to chair and again nothing happened. I heard my charges in court which was residential burglary, I left the courtroom and I had a sandwich in the waiting room with my friend that I didn’t seen for weeks. We spoke about how we are doing, what can or will happen or about contact with our families and we left to the bus again. Another weeks passed away in which completely nothing happened and I was transfered to the court again where I heard amount of bond that was set for me, if I could pay it I would be released from jail until I would heard conviction or dropping of charges but the ammount was too big for my family to pay. Around one month from there I got a new cellmate which I remember much more, he was a black gangster type over 60 years old which owed a classic Cadillac and also a crackhead. He wasn’t aggressive or hostile, he shown me that from the very beginning. He told me why there was no fights in the medium security department in which we were. There was a lot of metal, edgy parts around the cell so chance of not having a mark of assault was nearly impossible and that would mean abother assault charge for other guy and being transferred to the higher security department. Everyone wanted to get out of this jail because conditions there were really shitty so no one wanted to get into a fight. We were talking a lot about anything, completely anything. After couple weeks he told me that we should start singing something over the hole in the doors and other prisoners may join also. I didn’t wanted to do it at first but we did it, he started to singing. We singed “I shot the Sheriff, but I didn’t shoot the Deputy” - it was a fragment of song by Bob Marley. He told me how to make hooch from fruits that I bought in jail. It took me some time but I’ve made it, I’ve made alcohol in jail from fermented fruits. I remember that I got a little bit drunk after drinking it and I was laughing and I felt happy for some time, it was fun out there in jail where is nothing to do. Some time afterwards a single accident ocured, some guy was hitted in the jaw by other guy shoulder and literally nothing happened about it. The life was like usual afterwards, these 2 guys just didn’t talked to each other and it was only one act of violence and a single accident that occured during my stay in jail. Couple weeks later I was transported to the court again but this time for my case about residential burglary. I’ve seen my parents for the first time and they were crying, I felt heartbroken while seeing them. I’ve seen my friend again and I was transported back to the jail afterwards. Another weeks passed until my final case, in court I heard my sentence. It was 6 months in Cook County Boot Camp. Waiting period was long, I’ve waited for nearly 2 months until it started. In that time I’ve meet a new friend and we talked for some time. He could hook me up for a illegal street racings around Chicago area but my car was too slow for it and it was one of the reasons why I passed the offer. I remember that he wrote on both sides of A4 paper which type of car I should buy and how to upgrade it to start attending races if I would ever be interested together with his phone number. During my stay in Cook County Jail I talked to my parents a lot over the phone, they were shattered because of me. I was staying away from trouble during my stay there as well as everyone else, nothing happened to me or everyone else around. Around one month later I was sent to Cook County Boot Camp where my real sentence begun.