"fuck you, fuck your life, fuck your dreams, fuck your wife."

So I got arrested for peeing and they took my phone, now I'm trying to get my phone back. I went to the precinct, they sent me to property, property sent me to back to the precinct, the precinct sent me back to property, property sent me to the courthouse, courthouse gave me a number to call, I told them I don't have a fucking phone, I can't call a number if I don't have a phone, you guys have my phone, they let me use their phone.

Let me say on the record, I'd like to apologize to the City Of New York for taking a pee. I'd like to apologize to the garbage man that took my pee away in a garbage truck. There's a reason that garbage man gets paid more then the police. I'd like to say fuck the police. Take off your fucking monkey suit. Lets drink a forty and swim naked in the East River. Maybe then we can be friends, until then fuck you, fuck your life, fuck your dreams, fuck your wife. Get out of my face and give me my phone back. That's all

Mark Mark Mark

"Um I dunno it was very spur of the moment."

I got caught for shoplifting at Bloomingdale's so I got three days of community service. And that's it pretty much. No it was like a one time thing. They called the police and I spent like five hours in jail and then they let me go. Ahh just a shirt. A pretty expensive shirt. I dunno I think like two hundred something dollars. Um I dunno it was very spur of the moment. Pretty much these two like ladies dressed in regular clothes kinda just came up to me and they were oh you know open your bag even though it didn't ring. I still think that's weird cause like, only way they could know is if they have like cameras or looking into dressing rooms. But pretty much yeah, that's it. I dunno I can't tell any other way cause they don't count the amount of items you have when you go into dressing rooms and it didn't ring. It was a Marc Jacobs shirt. It was pretty. Um most likely but probably wouldn't spend that much money on a shirt. No, too much trouble. Too much trouble. I mean it's a stupid thing to do cause you're just end up paying more with all these court dates and like Bloomingdale's is crazy, they make you like pay all this money for like damage even if there's no damage. In the end it doesn't work out.

Darya

"My dog was shot during the raid…"

And I pled guilty, I was sentenced to a conditional discharge for possession of drugs, a half a gram of cocaine, that's what I pled to. My house was raided, and I was never shown the search warrant. To this day I was never shown the search warrant. My dog was shot during the raid, and this was all because of somebody who was arrested who was trying to reduce their sentence and they implicated me. I'm not sure who. I'm not positive. I don't want to bring anybody's name up unless I had evidence.

No, well, I'm in a drug program. I don't use drugs anymore.

They didn't say much, they just offered me a conditional discharge. My wife, my daughter were arrested with me, their cases were dropped. My daughter was, my, also my sixteen-year-old daughter at the time was arrested, and she ended up in the hospital 'cause she was diabetic, no one took care of her while she was arrested, and she had nothing, they had...this was all bogus.

I manage real estate, I work for my father, we own real estate on 7th Street where I live, I've been living there all my life. What else you wanna know? Born in New York City, born and raised.

I joined the program voluntarily, but, there was...they just let me off. I just pled guilty and they let me off. I guess they had a lack of evidence, weak case.

Anything else you wanna know, Steve?

George

"At the time, at the time I was drinking a lot."

I allegedly stole a bottle of liquor from a Mexican restaurant, on, I dunno, somewhere in the fifties, I'm not sure exactly where. I was arrested and put in the Tombs then I was bailed out. Then, from here I went to San Diego. I was living in San Diego for several months. I got picked up on the warrant there and I was held for almost sixty days. They brought me to court and told me they were holding me for another week because they didn't know what New York was doing and then they released me that day, completely inconsistently, with what they had said. Um when I got released I came back here and went to court to clear it up so it wasn't hanging over my head anymore. It got dropped down to a misdemeanor and now its just been going on and on. That was, that was in uh last winter. Last time I came here and now they've given me a court date now on August 18th. that I've just missed. And now I have another court date on December 15th. to come back.

It was allegedly gin, Bombay Sapphire. At the time, at the time I was drinking a lot. I was kind of like homeless, alcoholic, doing a lot of drugs and had actually had gotten sent to the hospital the night before. I had woken up from the hospital and pretty much like walked outside, like gone across the street, and uh this is when the incident supposedly occurred. That's, that's it.

Daland

"They have a vision of a white Harlem…"

Hello, world. Hello, New York. In Harlem, they have an agenda. They have a vision of a white Harlem where they're trying to get rid of all the vendors and everybody that's black. And, I got into a problem with three cops in Harlem, P___, R______, and Z___. Now, they confiscated $10,000 worth of Nike shoes from me on September 17, 2008. They wrote me up for vending without a license. That's what they do. And, I beat the case. I came back to the 28th Precinct, they laughed at me, they said "nigga, don't you know what this is? If you're tryin' to get your shit back, you'll wish your mother had an abortion." So, I went with my tail between my legs that day. On the 5th of March...on February 5th. I'm sorry, 4th, February 4th...P___, R______, and Z___ came out again, they took 100 Gucci jackets from me, wrote me up for vending without a license. I beat that case. So, I call Internal Affairs after that, on the 6th, and I just met with Internal Affairs about three days ago. So, now they're gonna lose their pension, messing with me. But, in the meantime, they want to murder me. They put me in jail on the 19th with a guy with full-blown AIDS. A white boy. He stuck me with a needle with fluid in it, and now, 30 days later, I have HIV. This is the type of shit that's going on. New York Police Department, Corrections. So, if you thinking about coming to New York, and you're thinking about doing anything even illegal, or even if it's not illegal, you can get in trouble here just by being black. Just by being in Harlem. And just by having a purpose, they'll run up on you, they want to know who you are. Your fingerprints. They didn't even know I was a veteran. They didn't think I was a veteran 'cause of the way I look. Once they found out I was in the Marine Corps for 12 years, I got the Purple Heart, they're like "oh, Semper Fi!" They want to dismiss things. It's too late now.

But now, I'm here to turn myself in for something simple. The prosecutor on the, I think it was the 6th of March, she said "the charge is vending without a license." I produced the license to the judge, and the prosecutor, and my lawyer. She said "I want to give him 10 days." And, the judge was, like, "for what?" She says, "I don't have enough information to dismiss the case." But, she wanted to give me 10 days. She don't have enough information. Here's the license. Here's the license. What did she want to give me 10 days for? That's why I'm coming back here today. I was supposed to come the 30th, but I was incarcerated until the 31st, I get 30 days in Riker's for an assault charge. So, I'm here to get this cleared up. But, what they don't do, they don't vacate warrants when you black. I don't know about white. They keep the warrant on you. So, when the cop asks you for ID, they're, like, "oh, you got a warrant." It's, like, "you crazy. I just got out the system." "No, no, we gotta bring you in." So, that's what happens. They keep the warrant on you. And you gotta go through hell to get it dismissed. So, in conclusion, New York is a terrible place right now, we're in a police state. We're in a Nazi state, whereas black people can't even walk the street. And, oh, yeah, I'm black. I love white people, I've got blond hair, but let's not get it twisted. Right is right, and wrong is wrong. The whole world needs to know what's going on in New York. So...peace.

Why do I have blond hair? You never saw a black blond before? You know, Jesus was blond. Jesus was blond. He looked similar to this. And they hated him. People hate me, too. It's not because I'm ugly, like, take a good look. It's not because I'm ugly. That's not it. It's that I'm so beautiful, it causes people to be uncomfortable. And, I'm beautiful in my mind, body, and soul. But, the great thing about this is people part like the Red Sea when I walk through. People on my right, people on my left. Now, the people on my right are my friends. They love it. People on my left are the ones who don't love it. And, sometimes I get physically attacked. Physically assaulted by the way I look. But I'm not giving it up because if I could cause a reaction to where you want to physically attack me then I must be doing something right. Because if you've got the nerve to put your hands on someone, you got serious issues. I don't have the issues. You have the issues. If I attacked everybody that I didn't like the way they looked, where would I be? You understand? So, I'm not gonna change a thing. And I wear gold tattoos, too. I am 99 percent Jesus. I'm one percent Cream. See, the ingredients to Creamology is 99 percent Christ, one percent Cream. See, Christ, if you punch him in the face, he'll turn the other cheek. If you punch me in my face, I'mma kill you. Another thing about Christ, he didn't get out to the females. I get out to the females. That's the only difference between me and Jesus. I'm righteous and I'm holy. I may swear every now and then, but I get on my knees and ask for forgiveness. So, I'm not Jesus. Anybody that tells you they're Jesus is a liar. The devil is a liar. There's only one Jesus. And he ain't came yet, but he's coming soon to remedy all these problems, all these issues that we have. Got that?

Roville

"I said, “This woman’s not a cop.” So I sold her some weed."

Selling marijuana and graffiti. One night I was out I was drinking and I don't know, I was writing on stuff, spray paint and basically police came up and yelled, “Freeze!”  I started running. I’m running down the street, in a trench coat. So I was running, running, running, running. Eventually they got me but anyway I'm on probation. 

CHI 3. Just writing, writing on everything. Just walking around, see your name up you know. You know the whole culture of it. You know the writers. You hang out with them. It’s a whole community. Like a graffiti community. It’s something fun. To kill off time. It’s addictive. Writing on stuff. I don’t know. You get caught up in it.

I got setup. This woman came up to me and asked me if I knew where to get weed at. At first I was like no no I don't know where to get weed at. So then I was looking at here, “Is this woman a cop?” I got not the best vibe from her. Something about her face . She looked a little beat up. I looked at her sneakers. I said, “This woman’s not a cop.” So I sold her some weed. She was an informant. Some kind of like paid informant. So there was a whole bunch of detectives. I got swarmed by them. The story of my life. Arrests.

John

"They claim our carvings, our sculptures is not art."

My name is Turtle from Union Square Park on 14th. Street. I do carve, carve sculptures out of minerals. We’ve been under attack. My crystal stand has been there for eight years and in the past two years I’ve been attacked six times, over four, five, six times to getting locked up because they claim our carvings, our sculptures is not art. Cutting and carving crystals is just as good as producing gravel. So they say you know you have to have a vendors license. What we do, I believe is one the most traditional forms of sculpting. We cut crystals for hours. It’s our form of art. They’re say it’s jewelry and I feel like it’s an infringement upon our rights as expression and the first amendment of art. I feel like we help a lot of people connecting to nature because of these minerals and it’s very important for us city people because we are some of the people furthest from nature. They clear our chakras. These are wheels of energy that help our blood move, help our chi, our energy move around in our body so we can keep healthy, regulation and sometimes stress, trauma, anger, negativity just make things blocked up. The bigger part of it in this case is that they’re attacking us saying, “Is this art, to cut and carve a stone is that sculpture?”

Turtle

"I had a picture of me posing in my bra and panties, and they took that."

We're a couple. On August 13th, 2008 at approximately 5 o'clock in the morning, we heard something at the door, like, maybe somebody tampering, and my honey went to the door. It just burst open and knocked him down, and come through the door were some men in brass and metal chestses and helmets and machine guns and they just screamed at us and said "get down, get down, get down!" And handcuffed us, and said that they had a no-knock warrant. To this day, I'm not aware of what that means other than no knocking, and they just knock your door down.

They accused us of having drug trafficking in our house, which wasn't true. So, they hauled me off to the precinct, they took him to the hospital because he fell out of the chair, the...you know, excitement, and they actually knocked him down. Yeah, he has a trache in his throat, he's a cancer survivor. So, while he was at the hospital I was at the precinct, waiting. They took me to the precinct, like, 6 o'clock in the morning, and they let me sit there until 6 o'clock in the evening without feeding me, or anything, waiting for him to come back from the hospital before we could come downtown and be booked. The charge was possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, but they searched our house for the four hours without us being there. So, they told us that they found an ounce of coke, which wound up being baking soda. So, in order for me to get out...I was put in jail, I stayed in jail for almost a month and a half, a month and a week, they just released me Thursday that just passed. He had to come back, in order for them to dismiss the charges because it was nothing. There was nothing. And I'm not understanding what the circumstances is of a no-knock warrant. He thinks that they were being spiteful because of the fact that we live in the midst of a lot of trafficking, and things, and maybe they couldn't catch who they wanted, and maybe a jealous girlfriend, I don't know. But the no-knock warrant is something that I think should truly be investigated.

Ransacked it. We put it back together, but a lot of things were taken. Like, they took my...I had a picture of me posing in my bra and panties, and they took that. Stanley doesn't want to make no fuss about it, but I told him we're truly considering...they took our keys, you know, saying there was evidence of us, evidence that we lived in the apartment. The picture was supposed to be evidence, and...for what?

Florence and Stanley

"I'm a madam, I'm a princess, everything I get is given to me."

I am a transsexual. I got arrested in Harlem uptown on East 132nd. Street and Madison Avenue yesterday because I was getting high with a couple of girlfriends and I wasn't on my p's and q's and the undercover ended up on me and locked me up. I'm free, they can't hold me or nothing. Because I'm that bitch. They can't hold me or nothing. I'm a fab bitch and all that. I can come see me. Anybody who interested in some good booty holler at me, you understand what I'm saying. I'm a madam, I'm a princess, everything I get is given to me. I don't gottta steal anything or nothing. I get it from the kindness of my heart. Me being me. You understand what I'm saying. You wanna have anymore information you give me a call at (212) 947 - ....

Tatyana

"Crack cocaine. I'm addicted to crack cocaine."

Prostitution, I was charged with prostitution. Yes. It was an undercover...yesterday afternoon, the undercover wanted drugs, and he came up to me, and said, "you know where to go get some crack at?" I said, "yeah," then he asked me do I want to do a sexual favor. I said "I don't do sexual favors. I don't do any sexual favors, I'm not a prostitute." But, they still charged me with...they just charged me with prostitution, not drug charges. No, I'm not a prostitute, that's the thing. I'm a person that does drugs. Nope, it didn't even get that far because I took the money and I ran. No, he gave me the money to go get the drugs, and I took the money and I ran. I guess he had something recorded, something on the phone recorded, stating that I would do it. Sexual favors. At the time, I did. I would have sex with him. Regular sex. $20. Sex. Regular sex. At the time, I didn't have no money. Yes, I was strung out. No, if it's for my freedom, no. I'm going home, I live in New Jersey, I'm going back home to try to straighten up my life. Crack cocaine. I'm addicted to crack cocaine. At the time, I did, but, now, I'm getting into too much trouble over this, I don't want to do it no more. Going on nine years. I want to get a job and go get my kids back. He's helped me, Jesus has helped me get through this, he's helped me get through this...this time. I had this for about two months, and it hasn't...it never came off my neck. Well, this case, right now, yes, because I could be going to jail now, to Rikers. And, since I prayed, and prayed, and prayed, I got released. So, thanks to God. I got released. I'm out, out in the world now. Now, I can straighten up my life.

Tara

"Im doing this to save the world..."

Middle of the road, front of all the cars, Times Square, the taxis are driving fast, cars were running all over the road, right? I was walking right in the middle of the road, and then a little sparrow came up to me, right? And it flew up, and it was injured. I could tell it was injured 'cause it couldn't fly. It was bouncing all over the road. And, I sort of picked it up like this, then it flew out of my hands and landed right next to me. And, I picked it up again, and a taxi ran right over it. And squished it. The point of the story is that I believe that life is so precious, you know, and you can't waste a single second, 'cause if a sparrow can get...gets killed like that, what about us? About the human population? Everything we do makes a difference. Every single thing that we do, every day in our lives, every second, makes a difference.

I'm doing this to save the world, one step at a time. My first step was saving a sparrow the other day, that was the second sparrow, the first sparrow I saved, I took care of it all night, after that, I sent it to the vet and it was saved. I give money to the homeless, I fundraise for the homeless, I'd like to help the sick, I'd like to find the cures for diseases, and if we all work together, if all the doctors and everybody who's willing, who wants to help, works together, then I think we can make a difference.

I was protesting against Donald Trump, because Donald Trump is a monopolist who builds buildings all over New York, and they're ugly, by the way. Right near his building. I was laying on the floor. Next to the sign. In the sidewalk. They asked me to get up, and I refused because I absolutely violated no law, I was standing...I was standing...I was laying on the floor and I wasn't doing anything wrong, and they told me to get up because "you're in people's way." Now, if I'm trying to prove a point, I'm in people's way, people walk by, and they notice, so...and then they tried to arrest me. I ran around a little bit so I could get the people's attention, to what's going on in the world, and then, one of the cops stood by me over there, and then ten of them or, I don't know how many cops—undercover, by the way, they weren't in uniform—jumped me from behind, got me on the floor, wrestled with me, I resisted arrest, of course. They maced me, which was okay, it was the first time I was maced in my life, but it didn't hurt that bad, I couldn't see anything for a while, but EMS came and they washed my eyes out, so it was okay. The cops were okay with me, they were fine. I respect the cops, I just want to make a point. And, I think I'm proving that point day by day.

Maksim

"Squeezing my genitals, this and that."

The previous case was about, of all things a straw. See I was with a friend of mine that had been know to these police because a couple of weeks earlier her and her boyfriend were in a pizza place arranging a drug deal from the dealer over the phone very much out loud with the narc squad sitting next to them. So some weeks later we're sitting in a coffee shop and they notice her and I guess they had their eyes on us. So I left the coffee shop to go around the corner to get a, this is right in Union Square to go to the grocery and of course two cops stopped me and started molesting me, throwing their hands all over me, squeezing my genitals, this and that. I'm asking them, What's going on?" They won't tell me. So they leave me alone. I go to the store. You know I better go check on my friends. Sure enough I went back and mind you they patted me down. A second time back, they see me like four or six of them just grab me and start doing the same thing, knock my food out of my hands, smash my face in the wall. Really manhandling me and this time he produces a straw and that's his evidence of drug use. I had a straw in my pocket, And, you know, this was for protesting that, you know, you can't just pull people out of coffee shops, and, you know, search them for no reason, you know, other than the sight of them. So, I'm here to get the straw thing dismissed, hopefully. They're giving me a hard time with it, but I'm pretty confident.

George

"it's public disorderly—public—public—disorder—disorderly conduct."

So, I'm homeless and at a certain point in the day I don't really have many options on where I can go to the bathroom. They've closed the public bathrooms and a lot of the bars and other public places around town do not let you use their bathrooms when you're homeless – unless you buy something, which I don't have money to buy. So, I had to pee in a bush. And, I was peeing in a bush and just – I swear to God, if the officer had been two seconds quicker, all of this would have happened with my pants down around my ankles. Just managed to get my stuff put away and all of a sudden — stuff. My junk. Put away. And, all of a sudden, somebody's grabbing me from behind. Did not identify themselves, I had no idea who was grabbing me – it was just somebody was grabbing me. So, I pulled back, which, I believe, is the normal human thing to do and so the officer then pulled me back again, handcuffed me, slammed me into the wall, threw me on the floor, and it wasn't until he picked me back up and turned me around that I saw the cop car – that I realized what was going on. So, that's public urination and resisting arrest. And, because I was bleeding, as he threw me in the back of the cop car, I think that's why he felt the need to accuse me of assaulting him. In fact, he claims that I bit him. Now, I had a witness who was standing two feet away who can tell you that that did not happen, so I've been — I came to court, I was supposed to come to court a couple weeks ago, I was late, didn't realize what time I was supposed to be here, the judge yelled at me, I almost cried, and so I had to come back again today, and the last time they were willing to — the first time I was through, they were willing to drop the assault charge and then – but just charge me with resisting and public urination and give me public service? Community service. And I was, like, "yeah, but I didn't do this." So, I said no, I pled not guilty, so I had to come back, I was late the first time, I had to come back again and they reduced the charge again to something called 220 or 240.20, which is not a crime, doesn't go on your record, it's publicdisorderly—public—public—disorder—disorderly conduct. Disorderly conduct. So, that's what's officially going on my record, it's not officially considered a crime. But, the part that I find interesting is that the police officer lied, completely lied, and claimed that I assaulted him, which never happened. Never happened. That's pretty much the long and the short of it.

Daniel

"Who benefited from this? I don't understand at all.

This is a good story. I was in my apartment, it was like 7:15 PM and uh I was in the bedroom and all of a sudden we heard the door. They were knocking really really really hard. Ringing the door, banging the door, obnoxious. So Brad went to the door. I looked at the peep hole and I saw two people standing at the door. I thought well sometimes they misdirect them, them send them to the wrong floors here. So a lot of times they go to the wrong floor. So I figured they're probably lost. I opened the door for them. At that point they take police ID out of their pockets, tell me that their police, to step back, they push me out of the way, one of them is holding a battering ram and right behind those two this man and woman, come about eight or nine other police officers, men and woman both. And uh go ahead Octavio.

So um I came out of the bedroom, "come here sir, come here sir", they're like screaming at me. First of all I'm blind, I'm totally blind. You know what I mean. I said, "who are you?" and they wouldn't tell me. They wouldn't tell me at all. I didn't even know they were police. I said "who are you?" And they wouldn't tell me. They said "you're under arrest." They sat me in a chair and then they moved me into the bed. Then they moved me into the bedroom. They switched places with us. Handcuffed. They never read us our Miranda rights either. One of the policemen said to me "did you guys just do something recently to piss somebody off?" At that time I had really really bad vertigo. I couldn't even walk. I had to hold on to the wall and everything. He had just come out the hospital for seven weeks from cryptococcus. He couldn't even walk across the floor by himself. It's a fungal infection of the brain. It's deadly. I can't walk because of the vertigo. I kept telling them that I was blind. They didn't believe me. Honestly, because I said, "I need to take my cane downtown." We realized three of the police stayed behind in the premises when we left. So god knows what they did here what they searched what they left here they could have bugged the place they could have anything they wanted to.

We get to the police station. We had to wait and wait and wait. They fingerprinted my hand. We waited 3 1/2 hours just to take our fingerprints. They took Octavio first. They took an hour for him. 8 hours later they finally take me to do my prints. An hour later they come back. "Here are your charges" and on a piece of paper, 23000 Octavio Perez, Prostitution Solicitation. The penal code, 23000 solicitation for sex. Prostitution with a woman. It was a police woman. Right here in the apartment. They were all here. The police were all here. An undercover female police officer. She's the one that entered the door, with the first person that came in with the whole squad. So how could he have ever solicited for sex with her not knowing she was a policeman when she was here with ten other people, cops! [They said] "That if she would have sex with me I was going to pay her 200 and something dollars. Oh if she masturbated me."

So then our first date in court comes around two weeks later and when we actually get to court there's no corroborating evidence from the police officer on the scene who's filing the solicitation charges against Mr. Perez, filed with the District Attorney. Nothing there at all. So they tell us we have to come back in a month and the same thing happens. So we can back in a month and the same thing happens. There's still no corroborating evidence put forth by the Police Officer who's making the claim that Octavio solicited her for sex. So then say come back in two months. And then when we came back then they dismissed the whole thing. They threw it out. The District Attorney had no documentation proving that the police officer who made this report is the one that made the report and it's actually factual. I had to get a lawyer. I spent more then four thousand dollars on this. For what? For what? Who benefited from this? I don't understand at all. Nobody. Nobody.

Octavio and Brad

October 30, 2008

"These Mexicans were hitting on me and we got into a verbal fight..."

Um I found a wallet and I called 411 and got the address, I mean I got the phone number of the person who I thought the wallet belonged to. I called them, left a message. There was also two checks with phone numbers on them, I called those. One was in California. One didn't go through and the other one didn't know who I was talking about. The girl that called back it wasn't her wallet. So I tried unsuccessfully to locate the person whose wallet it belonged to. That's pretty much all that happened. We got into a fight. These Mexicans were hitting on me and we got into a verbal fight and we walked outside and cops walked up on us. Four undercover cops walked up on us and searched all of us and found the wallet in my purse and arrested me for possessing credit cards and checks in over two thousand dollars, amount of two thousand dollars. I ended up getting booked for two felonies and I didn't do anything. On the the lower east side in a phone booth. I couldn't get the right phone number for the person who lived in Brooklyn. Probably toss it out. I couldn't find the person.

Courtney

October 30, 2008

"You might have to fight for your sneakers…"

They're definitely a status symbol. Not that that's what I'm going for but they definitely give you the idea that the person was in fact in jail, the person was in fact incarcerated. Definitely. Definitely. As well as the shoes and my lack of a belt also; all of it gives you you know. Someone would see me and it gives you off the jump that I came from jail.

To some people I think it's just a fashion statement. That's how some people choose to wear their pants. It's a style, it's a fad that maybe one or two people started and it's followed. Even though it originates from being in jail and not being allowed to wear your pants. Like myself if I was to stand up straight and walk a few feet you would be able to notice that my pants would not be able to stay on my waist they would actually fall off. So the idea did come from jail you know and I guess people carried it on to the streets even though you have a belt you still decide to wear them below your waist. Which to me is quite uncomfortable. Me being young and it's been in style for years I even catch myself doing it, even unintentionally where someone has to remind me to pick up your pants. Oh, ok I'm bogging.

These are actually jail issued sneakers that you get because when you enter the jail your property is taken and your sneakers are taken. People argue about who has the better sneakers and people are getting hurt and even killed over the issue of sneakers they come in jail with. I might have a $145 pair and you might have a $20 pair and might decide you might want my $145 pair and I might need to fight. The sad thing is as that as time go on I don't want to say it became a fad, it became a style. It became kind of like automatic you might have to fight for your sneakers, which is usually the first thing another inmate might try to take from you. They might ask you nicely first, "let me get those. Let me give you a couple of soups, which only cost 35 cents." Let me give you some of my commissary for your sneakers, you know.Me personally I'm actually happy that you don't have to come in with your own sneakers, that you can have jail issued. It's kind of like a uniform in a way. That's one less thing to argue about. I think it was a good idea.

I myself refuse to get on the train with the jail issued shoes because it's quite embarrassing. They also have orange issued sneakers. I've seen all different colored jail shoes. I've seen black. I've seen orange. I've seen dark blue. I've seen dark purple. I don't think none of them are cool. I don't even like the idea of wearing them. To be real I don't like them. Some people want you to know they're been locked up. They definitely want you to know.

Steven

"This is not Gestapo."

I was walking up the street with my hands in my pockets just like this and I see this kid pulled over and he looks at me and I looked back and they're like, "Hey stop!" and I walked back and then take another look back, someone runs over, jumps up, grabs me, slams my fucking head in the ground, holds his hands over my head and about to hit me and I say, "I'm from Ohio." After he just grabs my fucking shit, pulls me up and takes me to a car, searches my pockets, says, "Oh what about that wallet in the phone booth, what about your wallet?" I'm like I have my wallet, it's in my friends car. Then they take me over to this phone booth, grab this wallet that doesn't have my ID in it, has like drugs in it and stuff.

Now they're trying to put a felony on me for this wallet that has no ID in it or anything to link it to me. I have a pregnant girl at home. I just came to see a Phish concert and go home and take care of my pregnant girl. They're trying to take my life away for no reason for Gestapo shit. This is not right. It's unconstitutional and it's not fair. You can't do this. I don't have help. I don't even have a phone to call home. no one even knows where I am.

This is not the America I was told. You can't do that to people. This isn't Gestapo. This is not Gestapo. This is not a Nazi police country. This is fucking America.

Ricky

"I hit him with a stick. Okay?"

Yeah, my neighbor's boyfriend—she's Korean, he's, I think he's Italian—what happened was on February the eleventh, he kicked my door, then he threw me down and I hit him with a stick. Okay? I had to spend 24 hours over here, at this area over here, I was taken to Midtown South, 35th Street, 8th Avenue, the police station over there, I'm sure you've heard of it. And I had to come over here, like, around 3:30 in the morning, about 3:15 in the morning, I was here.

And, they listen to my comings and goings from the hallway, when I leave my apartment, they become very loud, they stage arguments, she's running around and saying that I saw her nude through her window, which is not true, because their windows are...they have venetian blinds on their windows, and you can't even see through their apartment because they're so filthy-dirty, put their garbage and everything else over there, and this is what it is. And, I hit the guy with a stick because he threw me down. And, the police officers arrested me on Wednesday night, February the eleventh, year 2009.


Yes, I hit him with a stick. I did. Because he did what he did first...I said to you just a second ago, he kicks my door, and he threw me down, and I fell down on my ladder that I have in the hallway. There's a big ladder that I have in the hallway at home. I had a stick that I had to protect myself just in case of anybody tries to come after me, 'cause I'm not the best fighter in the world. But, they're terrible people, I've called the police 50 times on them, and everything else. Same building. Same floor. Well, I have to go down the fire escape sometimes to check the draining systems on the roof, because when it rains they...it clogs up with these office buildings throwing garbage down on to the roof. That's what happens. They throw garbage down to the roof, and it's, you know, plastic bags and all this other stuff. You know what I'm saying? They stage arguments to make me believe that they're not getting along...they get along, they live together, the boyfriend leaves for work at 7 a.m. in the morning, now every morning, never used to until just recently. I have to leave my radio on, too, because they're very loud, they woke me up at 11:45 yesterday morning, and everything else. And, they're loud. You know what I'm saying? They talk near my door on the cell phone.


I have to...but, the thing is, when I go down the fire escape their windows are there. Now, I can't help that. I was...that building was built a long time ago, back in the 1800s, it's an old building, it's a walk-up, and I'm on the fourth floor, they're on the fourth floor. I mean, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to NOT do it, or whatever it is? You know what I'm saying? They just yell and scream at one another, you can't understand it, she's got such a big mouth, this...neighbor of mine. She's Korean, I don't know what he...I think he's Italian, he told me he was Italian.


Well, I have to go back to court again on the 15th of June. They have an order of protection against me right now, because of the stick-hitting. Eventually, they're gonna have to show up in court, because they're making up stories that are not true. First of all, if I did something like that to your wives, I'm sure that you would be smart enough to call the police, have me arrested for it, I mean, that's supposed to be an arrest factor. I mean, if you look at somebody nude, in their apartment, you're supposed to be arrested for this. You know what I'm saying? You're supposed to be arrested. I was never arrested for that charge, because they made it all up. The boyfriend made it up, she made it up.

Richard

"Yeah he's a real asshole."

I'm trying to like get rid of a domestic partnership. Void it. And also I'm trying to vacate a warrant that I got for hopping the turnstile. I just jumped over the turnstile to get on the train without paying. They gave me a ticket. I couldn't pay it. And now I have a warrant. It will be if like I get picked up by the police or something. So that's why I want to get rid of it. It was like a hundred dollars which is pretty ridiculous I think. I mean obviously I didn't have money to get on the train. Hopefully they'll give me community service or something I dunno try to work something out. Maybe a payment plan, they do that a lot.

Oh the domestic partnership. Yeah I dunno I just, it's probably going to be pretty uncomfortable. Me and my ex boyfriend got one for housing reasons I guess a year ago or something. I really want to get rid of it. I haven't seen him in six months. I don't really want to see him but they need both our signatures. Yeah he's a real asshole.

Yeah I write. I'm a writer. Like auto biographical short stories. I wrote a lot about traveling. I hitchhiked across the country. I hopped a freight train and stuff.

Naomi

"I came home one night and I seen a poster of myself, posted on the wall…"

I had a court case today and it was fraud. I was lied, I was lied upon. I was, what is it called when they categorize you. I was falsely categorized into being some type of robber whatever and that's not my type of thing, I'm very well taken care of, my family takes care of me, I'm working.

I came home one night and I seen a poster of myself, posted on the wall and on the floor I live. A wanted poster. It said wanted for robbery. Yes with my picture on it. Shocked. I was more then shocked. I was angry, I was confused. I just didn't understand why that was happening. I snatched the poster off the wall and went to my closest precinct in my neighborhood. They locked me up. They didn't say anything. No I definitely didn't do it. I had no parts in it. I don't even, robbery is not something I would think of. I have no idea. From what I understand, they didn't even give me the full case. From what I understand, a lady got robbed for her phone. Now I have a phone. My phone is high grade.

Stefan

"I don't like to change my image for conformists."

I shoplifted. I needed some clothes so I went into a very nice store and took some things. An American Apparel. A shirt, well two shirts barely worth the sentencing. Barely worth anything. It was the fact that I basically needed the clothes so I felt that you know receiving any kind of sentencing was kind of unfair because it was a first time offense so I felt like it should have been dismissed. Well when you're in a situation where you know life kind of like beats down on you, you really have nothing else to do, you need clothes for the winter, summer, spring so that's basically why I did it. I need to support myself in some way that's why I did it.

Well I don't like to change my image for conformists. In order to appreciate all halves you have to appreciate both halves. You have to recognize you live in society so part of living in society is being conformist without completely realizing it, but then again, what is a conformist but someone who follows, but then what is there really to follow, you know it's very in depth profound simple vague things.

I kinda just walked in and did it. It was very impulsive. I just said this is going to be very easy I know exactly how to do this, it's the most intelligent thing to do. I just went into a changing room you know put it in my bag and walked out. But they basically knew so they caught me. They basically had seen me take the clothes and put them in my bag, except I hadn't gone into a changing room I don't think.

Gizelle

"I'm stressed out and I'm mad..."

I was walking downtown, midtown with a friend of mine. I wasn't walking with him but I seen him and I had shook his hand and he had made a sale to an undercover cop of some fake marijuana and the police ran up on me and him and took both of us and uhh they said, "I was the lookout and he was the dealer." We gets down there and it comes to find out the marijuana was fake. I didn't sell nothing, I didn't have nothing on me but they still arrest me. I just got out on five hundred dollars bail and I'm stressed out and I'm mad but um this is life, so this is what it is. Come to find out the marijuana that was supposed to be sold was Lipton tea.

Tyrone

"You like the high. I like the high."

I was in court. I got caught for trespassing with a crack pipe and a couple of vials of crack coming out of an abandoned building smoking crack. Crack house. That's it. I got busted Friday, Friday morning, now I'm just getting out. I was arraigned this morning, so they gave me time served.

Basically I'm 45 so basically out of my life I say like 100 times [been arrested]. How long I been, most I ever did time was seven years. All together. My last felony was in 2002. Basically I'm still getting high. I'm trying to get it together right now. I panhandle some time but i ain't like out here like trying to steal or go back to jail so I ask people for money or I help people do things as far as supermarkets... help them pack bags or stuff like that. Sometimes i go to Port Authorities help people with their luggage.

To be honest with you I like the drug I ain't gonna lie to you. I feel I feel like...mmm... I can't be...you know, you be in your own space. Know what I mean? Ain't really, can't really say, it's just the high...you like the high. I like the high. I don't know anybody else like the high, but I like the high. It make you feel numb. 'Cause you can...be invisible, ain't nobody can feel you but your higher power. You know? That's it. So, that's why I like getting high.

Jerome

"Then I start to sing songs in the prison…"

I just walked my dog in the street and the FBI and Service Secret are around in 5th Avenue and 80 Street and a lot of secures there, and are not supposed to pass through there, but I don't know, and the officers asked for my ID and my ID's from my country, and he asked so many questions, and he arrest me and then I come here, when I stay for 38 hours in the jail, and I saw a lot of people there and then I start...I'm a man of God, I start to ask God "why I'm in here, why I'm here for so long," and the Lord say to me "preach my word," and I say "all right," and then I start to sing songs in the prison, and all the prison there start to look at me and listen the words, one prison there, he say "preach the words of Jesus," and then I tell to the other, I say "Lord, why?" and the Lord say "preach," and I preach the words of the Lord in the jail, like, and then I say "and everyone is go home" and one Brazilian guy is coming and this Brazilian tell me his life and then I pray for him and then he give his life to Jesus, and I say "Lord, I'm tired to be here," and the Lord say "remember my words, remember, my son, I'm in the jail, all my disciples in the jail, Peter, Paul, everyone, I send you here because all these people need someone's pray," and I'm in here in this court, like, for almost one year's come every time, every time, and today I put my feet in the court, and I pray to the Lord, say "Lord, today is done," and the judge say "no, you free, you can go," and the case is dismissed, that's all worship, and that I give all glory to the Lord, cause only He is the Lord, and the my service here is done.

In 80 and 5th Avenue, it crosses Central Park, and the Service Secret they protect some very important man. I don't know, I don't know his name. Well, in this case, no, because He's the Lord God, He have a mission, no one understand, the Pope, or something, the Lord, and that's the reason I worship Him. They protect the man who working in the...President of some nation, he's important man. No, Jesus, He no need law to protect Him cause He's the son of God, He have a whole power of earth in His hands. No, He protects me from the Service Secret.

Mivaldo

"Yeah over thirty years."

They said, "I responded like an echo, I adapted like a shadow, I struck like an arrow."

I don't know what they call it, harassment. Somebody, I'm not sure. I have no idea. I don't remember. Yeah they put cuffs on me. What do you think happens? You go through the system, you either end up in Rikers Island or you eat shit for another two years. I don't know what I did. I think I harassed, I think somebody. The constitution means I have rights. I wanna know where they are? I'm trying to find them. I've been looking for the last thirty years. I think my rights have been lost. Probably close to maybe thirty five. Yeah over thirty years.

Tony

"Make people smile. That's what I try to do."

Make people smile. That's what I try to do. Make people smile. I shake my hips and do a funny dance. People laugh. You know. There's a funny guy dancing.

A couple of weeks ago, an undercover police officer came up to me. He was standing next to me for awhile and looking a little suspicious. I was wondering what he was doing. Later he came over to me and got me on the handcuff and took me to the jail. This is the costume I was wearing that day. I was in the jail for like two hours. It's an Elvis costume. I have all different costumes. I have a monkey, penguin and Mickey Mouse.

Yoshi

"What if some crackhead rolls up on me, fucking starting some bullshit? "

I bought a knife here in one of these stores, what's it called, gravity knife. Apparently it's against the law. They'll sell them to you here but they'll arrest you for having them. They picked me up, criminal possession of a weapon four. Here I am in court. They dropped it to, the DA originally told me that I was gonna get time served with guilty but now I gotta do one day of community service and I gotta come back in July, a huge problem for me. It's not a problem, it's an inconvenience.

Why did I have a knife? I mean who knows? The lifestyle I live, what if some crackhead rolls up on me, fucking starting some bullshit? Why not? They'll sell it to me. Why can I not have it? They make them all the time. So personally I don't understand why I could buy a knife in the city that I can't have in the city. In the store that sold it to me they didn't tell me it was gonna be illegal or not, they didn't like, "Here's your knife, thirteen fifty, but if they catch you with it they're gonna charge you with a crime." So I don't feel I should have been the one going to jail, you know the mother fucker who sold it to me, fuck. It is what it is. That's why I'm here. I made it. I slept on the fucking steps last night just so I'd be here on time. And uh that's it.

Tinnon

"You should be allowed to rest your eyes, allowed to be comfortable."

Trying to straighten out my community service because I missed it that day. Because it was snowing that day I was supposed to do it. For sleeping in an ATM, criminal trespass. Me and my ex-girlfriend had an argument and she kinda kicked me out of the apartment so I found myself an ATM and fell asleep.

She said something I didn't like and I said something she didn't like. Sometimes she can be very nice and sometimes she can put me down. She didn't really put me down, she just didn't understand me, she misunderstood me. Like she's totally against marijuana use. Sometimes I like to smoke. That could run into a problem between me and her. She thinks that it just wastes my time.

It was kinda carpeted. It was a Chase bank. I just remember waking up and two cops were in front of me. Not like having a place. Not like a couch or bed. It was better then the streets themselves. The police are cracking down on people sleeping in ATM's. If you're not hurting anybody or damaging anything and you're homeless I think you should be allowed. Allowed to rest your eyes, allowed to be comfortable. I understand if ten people are sleeping there but not everybody knows about it so. You might have one or two people at a time sleeping in the place. I think the one or two people that come there first should be allowed but I don't make the laws.

Sammy

"it's the craziest thing."

The charge was criminal trespassing. Hopping the turnstiles trying to get to a party. Oh man, it's the craziest thing. Me and a couple of friends going to a party figured we hop the train so we hopped the train, see the cops and run thinking we were gonna get away. We ran downstairs to the platform. From there it's only two cops so far chasing me. I'm on one end of a bar and he's on the end of the bar and we're just going back and forth. It's just like cat and mouse at this point. It's four of us, two of them cops, some of us got away. The cops were just on my ass. They're just chasing me, chasing me, chasing me for like five minutes now. Then more cops come. By the time I knew it I had cops all over me, I'm against the bench getting handcuffed.

Seemed like he was getting tired. He was totally out of breath by time he caught me. He's a fat white guy. He looked like somebody out of the Sopranos to be honest.

Sean

"Crap. I knew this was gonna happen."

They said that I walked through a park after the sign said that I shouldn't. This was around 1:30AM. I was… I had one beer with my brother and a friend of mine and we took a cab back across, uh, 3rd street and my friend was going somewhere else so I hopped out of the cab to meet a business associate. I walked up LaGuardia and then I saw that there were women standing in the park, you know, taking pictures of the arch, still lit at the time. There were gates up but there was also a police car at the entrance of the park, so if it was really illegal to be in the park, I would imagine someone would have been confronting the women at that point. It was also 14 degrees outside. So I decided, what the heck, I can cut through the park in 10, 15 seconds flat, so I started walking through the park. As I approached the north side of the park, I see a police van roll up and I go, "Crap. I knew this was gonna happen." The guy stops me, asks me what I was doing--sorta like what you are doing right now, except without a video camera, as far as I know--and hit me with a, uh... failure to obey park signs. [laughter]

Gary

"So here I am with no laces in my shoes."

I was riding my bike with my friend to the store to pickup a beer, go hang out and I guess to the police it looked like we were meeting up to maybe do a deal so they stopped us both, took both our ID’s, searched a little bit and ran our ID’s, came back out and gave them back to us and said you can go on your way. My house was two blocks away from the store. I went back to my house. I was in the backyard and I saw another car, just the same as the undercover cop car tt pulled me over. So I went outside to check and they put the cuffs on me and said I had a warrant. I went to jail. At first they kept telling me you’ll be fine, you’ll be out of here soon, you’ll be out of here soon until I realized they were taking out my laces and then I’m like taking out the laces, I’m going in the cell now. I’m being detained. They’re like you’re not be arrested we have to take you to court. I’m pretty much being arrested because I’m being detained. I have nothing, I can’t do . I was in the cell for awhile and then the guy questioned me, one of the detectives. I guess nearby around my neighborhood a yogurt store got broken into and robbed so he was like so um you ever go to this yogurt place, I’m like, no not really. And he’s like, you know what I’m talking about? Yeah I know where it is. He’s like, so you ever been inside? You know order yogurt? I’m like, no. He’s like, ever been inside when it was  closed? And I’m like all of a sudden, oh right then I knew what he was like otoh he’s trying to get me to admit to something I didn’t do. So he get asking me, he kept telling me, if you don’t tell me the truth I will find out the truth, I will find out the truth. It will be worse on you, it will be harder, stuff like that. And finally until I told him over and over and over and over and over again that I don’t know anything or anyone that would do it, they just put me in the cell and I waited. They told me that in the morning they would have to take me into the city. That’s where my ticket was from for riding a bike on the sidewalk. I was arrested for riding a bike on the sidewalk. So here I am with no laces in my shoes. I have to walk back home to Staten Island. 

Brendan

"I'm not really for this system you know, really."

Petty larceny in the 5th degree and they also charged me with obstruction of justice. The victim claims that I you know that I stole a phone from her you know, you know it's funny she says that you know cause like you know in the past my stuffs been stolen you know so I've never been made a complaint you know.
I think the system is a bunch of boloney. It's ridiculous. It's just a bunch of b.s. man. Like for real. You got cops coming through here like shooting unarmed men and making their jobs back. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple of rapisists came through here, you know, they'd get that thrown out. Meanwhile they want to lock people up for like b.s. You go to my neighborhood over there psst you got psst, you got homicides going on over there, unsolved homicides and attempt murders but meanwhile they want to lock people up for a bunch of b.s. you know just to get a collar you know status or something. This system is messed up. Justice, I think they gotta rewrite this or something, like cross examinate themselves you know cause I wouldn't be surprised there's some corruption going around in this stuff, in these walls you know this building. There's corruption in the NYPD. You know so why isn't there corruption in here? Like people are getting blamed for nothing man. It's a headache you know. You know you lose your hair falling out of us. I'm not really for this system you know, really.

Quincey

"She searched me, and she felt it. In my panties."

I was going to visit my husband in Rikers Island, I got busted with some tobacco in my panties. Well, the officer, for some reason, she searched me, and she felt it. In my panties. Regular cigarette. Had it in a balloon. Yeah. No, you can't smoke in Rikers, period. Can not smoke in Rikers Island, at all. No one. So, you have to sneak it in. I don't know. I have no – can't tell you that.

Renee

"Where's the dope, where's the E?"

One of my friend snitched on me AKA told the cops I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. Me being dumb enough, I actually didn't check her background. Didn't figure she was a cop in time. Sold her an ounce. Then she tried to get me to sell her some E. I got hip. Caught on to the game and told them, "I know who you are. Or you're not. You're not a cop. All right I'll go back and get it." Then there was a big wild goose chase and they chased me all around. I had a cop follow me for six blocks. Then I started following them. That's actually the pretty funny part. He hopped into a UPS truck. I thought I was good, free for about two or three weeks. Who thought they would catch me at thirteenth and Sixth. I forgot took a cab over there by accident. Steeped foot. Eighteen narcotics officers, not D boys. "Turn around get down on the ground." It was like eighteen officers for my skinny ass. As soon as they catch me they grab me by the throat, "Where's the dope, where's the E?" I'm like, "I'm not gonna lie to you about that." I only sell trees. I lost $2500 to the state for some marijuana. That's some bullshit.

Anthony

"Cops were called so I had to be on the run."

I had to bring my court paper for anger management. Cause I assaulted someone for calling me out of my name. Faggot. I just maced him and I wanted to fight him but then cops were called so I had to be on the run. They caught me, in the city and I got arrested. I wasn't trying to hide I was trying to run away cause i knew I did something wrong but then at the end of the day I know that I didn't because i was self defending myself. I maced him and I went to go punch him and he blocked, so I just went off cause his eyes were really red. People calling me out of my name? Yes. Because I'm gay.

John

"Inner, inner, inner, inner, inner beauty"

I'm here on the 30th. of June for violation of protective ordinance, confessing my love by texting my girlfriend over my text phone, over my phone, confessing my love to her as well as sending her a two page love letter, also confessing my love to her and sending her a 1.5 carat diamond ring as a friendship ring. For that; I have been ordered by the court of New York to appear in court today as well as I spent close to a week in Rikers Island over this whole issue and I blame it all on the love bug and I'm still in love and I would take her back in a heartbeat.

Not necessarily, it seems like she might have got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. We all have our bad days and I can say that I take my responsibility and I believe in forgiveness, she forgives me, I forgive her.

A.. filed harassment charges as well as an order of protection and for the violation of order of protection that's why I'm here today.

Inner, inner, inner, inner, inner beauty as well as outer beauty, intelligence, cultured, sophistication, know how to cook, well groomed, well educated, clean oral hygiene and many more other attributes.

I love her and I miss her dearly.

Brian

"I never had a license! And I'm 48!"

I was at BBQ's, the lady is going into labor pains, the person that took her there in her car had to step out, so they wasn't there, I came to 'em, she told me "could you drive me to the hospital?" I drove her to the, I was driving her to the hospital, the officer stops, say, "hey, the windows on the van is too dark." He asked for my driver's license. I say "I don't have one." They get me downtown to the courts and say "you were driving with a suspended license." So, I come to court today, they tell me to go to DMV to get my license straightened out. I never had a license! And I'm 48! So, I don't know what their problem is, but I'm going to DMV, anyway.

Oh, I was eating some honey-roasted chicken and french fries. I've been driving all my life. They just gave me a summons and told me to go on, and I paid it. I always have the registration. They just give me a summons and say "listen, just go ahead about your business, pay the summons." Yeah, I'm going down there to get one immediately. Oh, that's easy. I've been driving for over thirty years, I can take the test with my eyes closed. Money's tight right now. Hey, it was easier then, it was easier driving 'cause they never stopped people for their license...the infractions they stop people now is, like, ridiculous. Oh, I always have a car to drive. Never a problem. I know a lot of people.

Kenneth

"Perhaps I did, you know, degrade the quality of others' lives…"

I wrote on a wall at my university, "I Believe in You," and I was tackled by three undercover police officers, had to spend the night in jail, and now I had a lovely day at court. And, you know what? It was quite an experience. I mean, it was fun, it's kinda silly. I think, you know, cops really need to reassess their priorities, I mean, it's a bit of chalk. But I can't complain. I mean, I did write on a wall, and perhaps I did, you know, degrade the quality of others' lives, as the law seems to stipulate, however, I don't know. I'll leave it up to the judge to decide, but...it's water-soluble, and I only do it before it rains, so, you know. I don't write just that, I write whatever sort of comes upon me, but they're always sort of silly inspirational truisms. I just want to make people happy, I want to create an environment that is much more alive as opposed to just this dead, gray place. I also plant flowers sort of in inanimate objects sort of around the city. I'm waiting to be arrested for that. Hopefully that'll come soon, we'll see. I don't know, I just want to make people happy, but the law doesn't really agree with that, so, see what happens.

Sam