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Pre-sentencing

Interview with Blunt, Charles, Patrick, Ryan, TJ and U.N. Owen

JM: Tell us about the pre-sentencing process:
Blunt: No! I didn't have a pre-sentence.
Charles: I was never sentenced. I spent 7 months locked up, then I was released and put into an outpatient program for 14 months and all the charges were dismissed.
Patrick: Was horrible because at first they where trying to give me up to five years
Ryan: Just waiting for them to process you.
TJ: n/a
U.N. Owen: I'd get arrested (robbery, drugs, boosting),and 'd get 20-30 days. No pre-sentencing, JUST sentenced.

JM: Did you have police stop by your house for questioning? If not please give us details on how you came to be arrested.
Blunt: No! The police didnt stop by for questioning
Charles: The police were waiting at my house to arrest me the first time I was arrested for assaulting my wife. The handcuffs were placed on very tightly and they hurt very much. It was also painful when I was placed in the police car with my hands handcuffed behind my back.
Patrick: one time after the incident had occured
Ryan: no i did not
TJ: n/a
U.N. Owen: No police stopped by my home. I've been arrested well over 30 times. The average arrest would be I was boosting (I favored books, and, colognes/perfumes), and, as is bound to happen, sooner-or-later your luck runs out. I rarely got arrested for copping, I never deal with people I don't know, and, in this day &B age, business is all conducted over the phone, and, arrangements for transaction are made. Most of the time, it'd be I'd get caught by the store's undervcovers (there's a rule about undercovers in the type of store I would work - bookstores: undercovers are almost ALWAYS non-white, young. The one tyime I'm thinking about right now, I SAW the 'U.C.' who fit the descrption. Not only that, the kid was sitting in the art book section, 'reading' his art book...UPSIDE-DOWN (no, it wasn't a picture book he had). I walked out the revolving door, and, someone put their foot out to trap me in the revolving door. The REAL undercover. NOT the black kid. Another good thing to remember is NEVER USE REVOLVING DOORS!).

JM: What was court like? Please give as many details as you recall.
Blunt: My court appearance was horrible. The judge was very rude, and unprofesional. He was talking to me like I was beneath him. Even though he was the jugdge he acted upon like he was King Tut.+
Charles: Court appearanced were horrible because we (the prisoners) had to wait very long times in the "bull pen" cells. These cells were in rikers and in the courthouses. These cells were very crowded, hot or cold and we had to endure humilifying strip searches. I remember the incences the guards burned in the strip search areas. They burned incences because of foul body odors of prisoners. It was very hard to take showers in the Mental Observation ward in rikers.
Patrick: i was always dressed sharp
Ryan: it was fast accept on the day I was sentence, that was long.
TJ: n/a
U.N. Owen: Court, or Central Booking? I can only tell you what Central Booking's like, in Manhattan and Brooklyn (the WORST in NYC is Brooklyn. BEST is Staten Island). (In Manhattan)You're processed in (a trip up & down a staircase, where first you photographed front, and side), then, you see the 'doctor' (usually an EMS tech). They ask you brief health questions. Their primary function is to: (A) make sure you're not crazy, (B) make sure you won't drop dead while in THEIR custody. After that, you go down to the bottom floor - and, you walk through a maze of (nauseating) turquoise-colored walls to the bullpens, where - in one-cell-or-another, you'll be for most of the next 24 hours. The 'trip' through the bullpens actually starts moving every time you're moved to a cell opposite the direction you entered this maze from. It can take up to 24 hours, but, it's usually about 17+/-, though, if your lucky, it can be only a few. Depending on the other cellies, it can be annoying, to REALLY annoying (keep in mind that as people are CONSTANTLY being 'fed' into the system, there's ALWAYS new arrivals, and ALWAYS (LOUD!) talking/shouting). If you're arrested late in the afternoon, you'll be at Central Booking by night-time, and, you'll be there overnight. The ONLY highlight is when a C.O. walks in (you just get to KNOW the 'different' sound of this C.O.'s walk. It's faster than those on duty down here). EVERYONE perks up, because he'll bark; 'listen up - when I say your name, give me your date of birth, and social security number.' This C.O. is taking you up to the court cells. When you get to those cells, they are THE NASTIEST I've seen (and all I know who've been their agree) in the Central Booking building. They're TONS of roaches - dead AND living, ALL OVER. THese (2) cells have booths on one wall, where your lawyer/public defender meets with you. The ONLY good thing about this nastiest of cells is that - if you're familiar with the system, and, you know your charges are b.s., then, you know you'll walk out after court. If not, then, after court - and before you get to the Rikers bus, you'll be brought back in here t wait to (sort of) do the cell 'tour' in reverse. When the C.O. calls your name THIS time, it's for court. They say; 'LISTEN UP - when I call your name, give me your birth-date.' After all the men who're going to court are called and are standing outside the cell,the C.O. says; 'when I bring you out to court, you're to talk to NO ONE either sitting next to you, or, whisper in the pews. You're to motion to NO ONE. Then, you're brought in to court, and.......

JM: What were your original charges? What did you end up being convicted of?
U.N. Owen: Out of the...MANY times I'd been arrested, I was convicted maybe 10%-40%. The rest, I'd walk out the door. I would get charged with mostly minor stuff - drug related. A few weapons charges, stealing, etc.

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