Broward County Jail

Inmates

Interview with James and Charles


JM: Did you find it difficult to get along with other inmates?
James: Most of the time. The races stick together. Being white, I was a minority. All day I heard racial ethnicities (ni**er, cracker, chico). There are a lot of gang members. It's just best to keep to yourself and maybe acquaint yourself with selected others.
Charles: Try being jewish, only man with a kosher tray in a gang unit?

JM: What types of things did you have to do to avoid problems or fights with other inmates?
James: Keep to yourself. But understand if someone tries [to mess with] you, and you don't stand up for yourself, everyone steps on you. So problems with others in inevitable. Someone got in my face 4 times over 21 months, and I got in their face too, to stand up for myself. And not at all being racial, but the few times that there were more whites/hispanics than blacks things got rough with the TV. The rule is to vote, and when the Jits/bugs were outnumbered they couldn't watch their rap videos, and they would change the station to rap, the FEW times they got outvoted.
Charles: Tie all belongings to a bunk, when challenged, hit first. Backing down is not an option.

JM: Were you able to choose an inmate if you knew one?
James: Sometimes if you were tight with the deputy, he would switch your room, but it wasn't often. I personally am a HORRIBLE snorer which caused a lot of problems. At North Broward in the psych cell, you could switch without authorization, but I preferred the floor in the day room, and one deputy forced me to go to a room.
Charles: Friends of mind were in seperate dorms and pods, they have us in the gang book as affiliated and ensure that we are not in the same pod. Slippin on let'n us in rec together.