"I gotta be a human being."

Basically I had some cases that was at 500 Pearl Street. The police testified and everything and they said what happened and whatever. I was in Rikers Island. I was beat up by the house gang. I was assaulted by the police. I was starved by the police in the cell for a month. They made me drink water and because I was fighting with people because they wasn't giving me my food. They gave me some pills that put me in a coma on Christmas day. They owe me money and they don't want to pay me. It happened in Manhattan Psychiatric Center where they gave me the illegal drugs. I told them I couldn't take them. I use to take them before and I use to throw them out when I was on Rikers Island and they still didn't believe me. I told them I feel woozy. I walked in the day room and I fell out. The police beat me up and everything. It's all on tape. I was stripped searched when I was in Rikers Island and I had a felony, it was for a homicide and I didn't cop out. They're saying I can't get paid. And I'm a human being. I gotta be a human being. If they can pay people that got misdemeanors they could pay people that got felonies in order for them to get their money for people being stripped searched in Rikers Island. I feel that's something like force against the government. They need to pay us. All right? Have a nice day.

Richard

"Yeah, I think I'm Superman."

I came in here at 9:30 in the morning, right? I sat here for three hours, waiting for them to call my name in court, they don't call my name. Then he says "these people didn't hear their name called," whatever, he says my name so I started going up, he says "no, sit down." Calls these peoples names, whose name they never...who didn't hear called, I was the first one, right? So then, I guess, he put me on the bottom of the pile, and he still didn't call my name, and then they broke for lunch at, like, what? 1:00. Said "come back at 2:15." Th' hell, y'know? I was in that courtroom for three hours. I never heard my name called. Y'know? It was an atrocity. I couldn't do anything about it. What'm I gonna do? I'm in court, for God's sake. What'd I do? I went to Starbucks. What was my charge? Harassment. Well, there was a guy on the Lower East Side, I punched him in the mouth. He tortured me for five months, and I punched him in the mouth. I don't know, whatever...whatever he was doing...they call me a paranoid-schizophrenic, see? So, they say I'm just paranoid, but I know otherwise. Yeah, I think I'm Superman. I don't give a shit. I am George Wallace, my mother was born...my mother died on January 15th, which is Martin Luther King's birthday. I am a friend to the black man. That's what I'm known for. I told you, tortured me for five months. He's just into my thoughts, he was...he screamed a lot. Very angry, really got on my nerves. I don't know what it is...for some reason, they're jerking me around, I don't know why. I'm not calling it a conspiracy, I'd like to get that whoever that guy is calling the names, I'd like to get him by the throat. That cop who's calling out the names. Clerk, or whatever his name is. Like to jerk his ass around. I tell you, I'm gonna give him another half hour to call my name, then I'm gonna go up there and start some shit. No, I'm just kidding. Just kidding. I just hope they call my name, you know, I can get the hell out of here. I'm probably gonna go up there, they're gonna say "oh, it's dismissed," you know? I've been to court three times already.

George

"I was watching my friend fight, so nobody would jump her"

Fighting and the person that, like, was...he saw me when he got locked up and he told them that I was fighting, and I just got locked up. No...I was watching my friend fight, so nobody would jump her. Over "he said/she said," stuff like that. Well, I go to school, I'm not in school right now because I have to do court and counseling, so...I study business and tech. You can catch the fight on YouTube, actually. Well, you know people like to record fights nowadays. One of the girls from they side. It's a good fight. It's interesting. It was a right-left, and you just gotta catch the rest. "Girls are going to gag." I'm a nice person, at times. When I'm in the mood. Like, around this time. I'm in a good mood.

Sharae

"I'm from Northern California. Everyone smokes marijuana"

I was arrested for smoking marijuana in the west village on the street about three weeks ago. Um and we were picked up by undercover cops, we actually finished smoking the bowl, left turned the corner and then two people walked right next to us and said, "Mam can we talk to you for a second" and it was over from there. I'm from Northern California. Everyone smokes marijuana. My father smokes. We smoke on the street all the time. Not really a big deal. Didn't think it would happened. Ended up going back to the precinct and because I was a woman and I wasn't able to go into the cell with the other guys I was handcuffed and ankle cuffed to a bench for five and one half hours not able to move in a really ridiculous pants suit with these kind of like shady guys. It was ridiculous, strange. The cops were giving them cigarettes. That was weird too. They were all smoking in the precinct.

We were going out. We were going out dancing. I was wearing this like seventies high waisted striped like bell bottom huge bright bright neon stripped pants suit. It was good. Probably why we got caught, they saw my colors.

I'm smoking pot back at home or in California. On the street. Cops have better things to do. Be careful, be more careful I guess and really yeah smoke in your place here in New York, the cops even said that, "they were like it's not a big deal just smoke in your house, you can't do it on the street".

Nena