0:00:02 > 0:00:07This programme contains some strong language and some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09You have the right to remain silent.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11You have the right to have a lawyer present to advise you
0:00:11 > 0:00:13before and during any questioning...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15They say, to understand a person,
0:00:15 > 0:00:17you have to walk a mile in their shoes.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21That's exactly what I'm going to do.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I'm going to jail
0:00:26 > 0:00:29to try and understand the American criminal justice system
0:00:29 > 0:00:31from the inside.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40America incarcerates more people
0:00:40 > 0:00:43than any other country in the world
0:00:43 > 0:00:45and the largest population of inmates
0:00:45 > 0:00:47are housed in Texas.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52At quite a young age I promised myself
0:00:52 > 0:00:54that I'd never find myself in this position -
0:00:54 > 0:00:56in the back of a police car.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I never thought I'd know what it feels like to be here right now,
0:00:59 > 0:01:05but...I'm experiencing this, even though it's under these conditions.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06I know I've not done anything wrong,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I know I'm not getting a criminal record for doing this,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12but there is an element of shame, if I'm totally honest.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I don't like, sort of, feeling like this.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I don't like being in this position.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26- HE RAPS - Whoa, whoa!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30For one week I'll be locked inside Bexar County,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32one of the biggest jails in the state.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34INMATES SHOUT
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I'll be experiencing life as an inmate
0:01:41 > 0:01:45to try and find out the real impact of being behind bars.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47So this is actually happening now.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50I'm about to head into these shutters
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and I guess, once that shutter closes, that's it, I'm in.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01POLICE RADIO CHATTER
0:02:11 > 0:02:15Any kind of jewellery, any personal items, effects, anything like that?
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- Just a ring.- Just that right there? What I'm going to do,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I'm going to take this hand out of your handcuffs,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21you're going to put it on the platform.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28- You got any inside pockets inside your jacket?- Yeah.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30And that ring, is that ring able to come off you?
0:02:30 > 0:02:31Yes, it is.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Bring it up higher.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Bring it up higher.
0:02:40 > 0:02:41Open your mouth up, tongue up.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43Lift the tongue up. Yes, sir.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45Thank you. Go ahead, close your mouth.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Every day around a hundred people enter this jail
0:02:48 > 0:02:51and a hundred people leave,
0:02:51 > 0:02:54with a total population reaching nearly 4,500 inmates.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00So what's the reason for removing my jewellery and my shoelaces?
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Well, the shoelaces, down here, number one, it's for your safety
0:03:03 > 0:03:04and for the safety of others.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08After being arrested, inmates are first placed in jail
0:03:08 > 0:03:11to await trial or serve short sentences.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Stays here usually last under a year.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18- Do you have a history of drug or alcohol abuse?- No.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- Are you expecting to withdraw from drugs or alcohol today?- No.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26- Do you currently believe that someone can control your mind?- No.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Prior to arrest, did you feel depressed,
0:03:28 > 0:03:32down or take little interest in things?
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Are you thinking of killing yourself or injuring yourself today?
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Thank you, sir. Come and stand right here.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43You feel suicidal at all?
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Don't feel suicidal, no.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Have you been seen by any kind of mental health, or...
0:03:48 > 0:03:50- No.- ..put into a mental institution for any reason?
0:03:50 > 0:03:51No.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Follow me.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02Are you wearing briefs or boxers, sir?
0:04:02 > 0:04:03- Boxers.- Pardon me?
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Boxers.- And what colour are they? - Black.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Careful that doesn't spill out.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10Thank you.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41I sort of feel like anything that made me me is gone.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I'm a... I'm a prisoner now.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46I'm wearing a pair of socks
0:04:46 > 0:04:49that have been through the system quite a few times!
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Even down to my underwear, you know, it's all county jail.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55There's nothing about me, right now.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Um, that's come from me.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03Follow you out?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11There are 75 units in this jail,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15some of which provide additional support for inmates'
0:05:15 > 0:05:17physical and mental health needs.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Drop your bag, sir.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28I'm relieved to be taken to the unit known as AA, for low risk inmates.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- So it's two tiers in here?- Yes, sir.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36The shower area and bathrooms there,
0:05:36 > 0:05:39your cell is going to be the first one, AA01, right there.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43This is Officer Torres, he's going to be the officer for the shift.
0:05:44 > 0:05:45This is inmate Yates.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- This is Officer Torres. - All right, nice to meet you.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55And, of course, you have your lights.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- You turn them on and off here, on the side.- Mm-hm.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- This is to flush the toilet.- Mm-hm.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Well, I won't be the first person in an orange jumpsuit who sat on this.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I've got a nice orange stain on my mattress.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24WHIR AND CLANK
0:06:25 > 0:06:28I think that's the sound of me getting properly locked in.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30I was hoping for a window -
0:06:30 > 0:06:33the only window I've got looks out onto the communal area out there.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39I guess I won't be seeing sunlight while I'm in here.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Again, something that I didn't really consider.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01At least I know Slayer's been here.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15KNOCKING
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Oh, shit!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20What does that mean? Do I bang back?
0:07:23 > 0:07:24LAUGHTER
0:07:24 > 0:07:29They're laughing at me. I don't know what that means!
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Does that mean, "Yes, I will be your girlfriend"?
0:07:31 > 0:07:33What does that mean?!
0:07:33 > 0:07:35(What does that mean?)
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Oh, where the fuck am I?
0:07:50 > 0:07:51Within a 24-hour period,
0:07:51 > 0:07:57inmates in this unit are locked away for around 12 hours.
0:07:57 > 0:07:58For the rest of the time,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00they are sent to work in other parts of the jail
0:08:00 > 0:08:03or allowed a short stint in the communal area.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Everyone's been let out of their cells at the moment,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11but I'm still in here behind mine,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14which I don't know how good I think that is.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16INMATES CHATTER
0:08:21 > 0:08:23'You ready to come out?'
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Yes, sir.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- What's up? How you doing?- What's up? - What's going on?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36What's up, what's up?
0:08:37 > 0:08:40- What's up? My name is Reg. - Jesus, man.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You all right? What's going on? Reggie, nice to meet you, brother.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- E.- Nice to meet you, E.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- What's up, bro?- Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49So you lot are getting a couple of hours out here, yeah?
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- Yeah.- Is this time that you lot treasure?
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Is this time that you look forward to?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55It's the only time we've got.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58'I'm keen to meet as many inmates as possible
0:08:58 > 0:09:01'and try and get some advice on how to cope while I'm inside.'
0:09:01 > 0:09:03What's happening? Reggie, nice to meet you.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05- Mosley.- What's that?
0:09:05 > 0:09:06- Mosley.- Reggie.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09Just keep your mind occupied, you know what I mean?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Like, you got to read books.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Just take your mind off the things that aren't really happening.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- You know?- And what happens if you don't do that?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Some... Some people, some people, they'll trip out.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26They snap, you know?
0:09:26 > 0:09:28They start to freak out because,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31if you start thinking about the worst possible things
0:09:31 > 0:09:33that could happen to you...
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Your mind will go crazy, you know? - Yeah.
0:09:38 > 0:09:39You're all so young.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- I didn't think you guys would be... How old are you, sir?- 22.- 22.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- What did you do?- Shoplifting.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- Shoplifting?- Yeah. - What were you trying to steal?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- T-shirts.- And you ended up in here because of T-shirts?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52- Yeah.- So what was going through your head
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- when they put them handcuffs on? - I was like, "Oh, man."
0:09:55 > 0:09:57I was so mad, I was like,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- I wish I would have just never did it.- Over some T-shirts.- Right.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03What do you think your sentence is going to be?
0:10:03 > 0:10:06A month or two, but no longer than that.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08You know, cos it's a misdemeanour, you know?
0:10:08 > 0:10:10It was just tagging on a projector in school -
0:10:10 > 0:10:11that's all it was.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14- I took a pin and I edged it in there.- No, you're kidding me.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Yeah, and the students saw me and they stitched me out.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Oh, you, guy, I'm going to get you later.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- You ended up in here for that?- Yeah.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25'It's surprising to hear that crimes we might regard to be minor
0:10:25 > 0:10:29'in the UK are punished by a jail sentence in Texas.'
0:10:37 > 0:10:39It's dinner time in the unit
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and I'm about to have my first taste of jail food.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Oh, you've got it all figured out.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Oh, I see. You made a hamburger.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57- Oh, man. It's just... - It's horrible, I know.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00It's terrible, bro.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- It tastes like nothing. - It tastes like nothing, right?
0:11:03 > 0:11:08- Yeah, no seasoning. - They don't put no salt, no pepper.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10You got to mix it together.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20After dinner, I notice there's a new arrival in the unit.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24That guy's got a bag,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- that means he's just coming in for the first time, right?- Yes.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35This is 19-year-old Alex's first time in jail.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39You've got a window in here, you got more than I got.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41See, I didn't even know it was dark out.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43- Yeah.- Do you know what time it is?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- No, Reggie, I don't, man.- No idea.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- I don't.- This is my first night in here.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50- It's your first night, right? - It's my first night as well.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52How are you...? How are you coping?
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Like, I'm fucking... I'm shaking right now, man.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59I'm just keeping myself occupied, I'm fixing everything I can.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02- I'm just.... - What is it that's making you shake?
0:12:02 > 0:12:03- Is it...- I haven't...- ..anxiety?
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Fear? Is it what?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07It's anxiety, man.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11I have so much in my head that I'm not supposed to be here.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I'm supposed to be at work right now, you know?
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Taking care of my sister and my mom and my stepdad in Mexico.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And he's on dialysis right now, you see?
0:12:21 > 0:12:25I'd send them 200 a week and look where I'm at right now, you know?
0:12:25 > 0:12:29I lost the job, I lost my car,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32I'm homeless and I don't know what's going to happen to my stepfather.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35'Alex has been arrested
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'for possession of a small amount of marijuana,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42'which I find out he was using to combat his mental health issues.'
0:12:42 > 0:12:45I was... I got diagnosed when I was 13 years old.
0:12:45 > 0:12:46Diagnosed as what?
0:12:46 > 0:12:51Bipolar, ADHD and I was having very suicidal thoughts at the time,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54where I was hearing things
0:12:54 > 0:12:56and I couldn't cope with those hearings.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59I was very, very...out of there, man.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04I started taking the pills and those pills would calm my hearings down,
0:13:04 > 0:13:10but my anxiety would pop up, man, and my depression would just pop up,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13and I used marijuana. And that's when I got out of that facility,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17and then I went back again because I started cutting myself.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22And then I went back again because I tried to overdose,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25and then I went back again because I tried to hang myself.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Did you mention that on the way into this unit?
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Because they ask you all those questions.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Of course not. I'm not going to say yes to those questions.- Why?
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Because, if I say yes, that I have attempted suicide,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40it would just lead me to somewhere very...
0:13:40 > 0:13:44not even a very nice place. I'm very lucky to come to this unit.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46In this unit, everybody is doing their...
0:13:46 > 0:13:47They don't want to fight here.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50They just want to do their time and go home to see their family.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54If I told them I attempted suicide, they would have put me on some unit
0:13:54 > 0:13:58where there's more people, which would give me more anxiety attacks,
0:13:58 > 0:14:00more problems, more suicidal thoughts, you know?
0:14:13 > 0:14:14HE SOBS
0:14:14 > 0:14:17It's your first night. You ain't going to be here that long, bro.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21I miss my mom, man.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24I miss everybody, man.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Look, this is my first time in here.
0:14:28 > 0:14:29And in the little experience,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31the little knowledge I have of this place,
0:14:31 > 0:14:34you can't be like this on the first night.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37You need to pull yourself together, man.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I don't even want to be here, man.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48It's driving me nuts.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I hate this place.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56Look at the beds, bro. How does it...?
0:14:56 > 0:14:59Come on, Alex, it's the first night. It's my first night.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02You've just got to... You've got to get your head straight, man.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04- All right?- All right.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07When you're done here talking to me, you gotta promise me
0:15:07 > 0:15:08you're going to go and talk to a guard
0:15:08 > 0:15:10because you need to speak to someone.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11You need someone to talk to,
0:15:11 > 0:15:13you need someone to be there for you, man.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16You've got me now. You know that much, right?
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Right?
0:15:19 > 0:15:20OK.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23- I will do that, man.- All right.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26But before you go out there,
0:15:26 > 0:15:29just take ten minutes and get your shit together, bro.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- You need to, OK?- OK.- Just stay calm.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- All right?- All right.- You got this, man. I'm about if you need me.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- I'm in number one, all right? - All right, man.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39- Yeah.- OK?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41All right?
0:15:55 > 0:15:58The majority of the people I've spoken to have called this
0:15:58 > 0:16:01one of the calmest wings that they've ever been in.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04They call this one of the safest bits of the prison,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06which is strange to hear
0:16:06 > 0:16:10because the minute you start to unpick some of their problems,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14very quickly you see them teetering on the edge, you know.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Already there's been guys in tears,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18there's been guys shaking in front of me.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21There's been people telling me their story,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23not being able to hold eye contact or...
0:16:24 > 0:16:28You know...or maintain a level of conversation
0:16:28 > 0:16:33where it doesn't feel like they're about to spiral downwards.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And this is the place where the most together guys are.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42After our conversation, Alex asked to see a counsellor
0:16:42 > 0:16:44to tell them about his suicidal thoughts.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51What's happened with Alex? Is he still here?
0:16:51 > 0:16:54No, sir. Actually, he said he was having thoughts of suicide
0:16:54 > 0:16:55or self harm,
0:16:55 > 0:16:58so we're having him talk to mental health counsellors right now.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01OK. So where do you think that'll lead?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Is he going to come back here or will he go to another...?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06It's actually up to our mental health counsellors.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- They'll assess him? - They'll assess him.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11If they feel that he is in danger of self-harm,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15he will be placed in a suicide protection cell or unit.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- All right, thank you. - Thank you, sir.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23I'm impressed with how quickly the jail has dealt with Alex
0:17:23 > 0:17:26and it's a relief to know he might now get the support he needs.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37I guess that's all the darkness I'm going to get.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43One of the strangest days ever.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46I'm lying here, in this bunk,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50under possibly the scratchiest sheet that's ever been produced.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52HE CHUCKLES
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I'm not feeling sorry for myself.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58The thing that I can't stop thinking about is Alex.
0:17:58 > 0:18:03You know, he's a good guy and he isn't here this evening.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06He's been moved to a different ward
0:18:06 > 0:18:10because of his... his suicidal thoughts.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16I don't know where he's going to end up, eventually.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I just hope he's all right, you know?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35HE YAWNS
0:18:37 > 0:18:38I struggled to get to sleep
0:18:38 > 0:18:41because the light off isn't really light off.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43It's... It's this.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48The doors buzz and the tannoys come over saying it's breakfast,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52but it doesn't feel like it's been six or seven hours -
0:18:52 > 0:18:54it definitely hasn't been that long.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Let's get some breakfast.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05How comes breakfast is so early? Why is it so early?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Has everybody come out, or are some people still fast asleep?
0:19:12 > 0:19:13So they eat and then go straight back up?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15What have we got? What is this?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- Yeah.- Bread, honey... - What's that?- ..sausage.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24That's a piece of sausage and that's beans.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26I'm struggling to swallow this, man.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30This is one of the best plates to have.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31This is one of the best plates?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Mm-hm.
0:19:33 > 0:19:34Wow.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38I can't.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I had, like, two bites of this and I feel kind of sick, if I'm honest.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46It's funny, after that breakfast, and after this wake up,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48I've come back to my bed and all I'm thinking about
0:19:48 > 0:19:51is - how much longer am I going to be here for?
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Because you're very quickly reminded
0:19:53 > 0:19:56how little control you have, you know.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58To be woken up at this time for breakfast
0:19:58 > 0:20:02makes absolutely no sense, but, in this system, is kind of does.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05We are on the first or the second floor, I think.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08We are being woken up at one/two in the morning to eat
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and that's because every floor needs to get fed.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14So by the time you get to the sixth or seventh floor,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17it's probably 7am.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And if I knew that I was going to be here for at least six months,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24and this was going to be the case every single night,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27all I'd be thinking about right now is home.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I'm here for a matter of days and all I'm thinking about is home!
0:20:48 > 0:20:53They've given me my...toothbrush and toothpaste in a glove.
0:20:54 > 0:20:55HE CHUCKLES
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Even on a plane you get more of a toothbrush than that.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06This is shit.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09This is so rubbish!
0:21:09 > 0:21:12This is shit! How are you supposed to get to anything with this?
0:21:20 > 0:21:22I ain't getting in the fucking shower.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27No way am I getting in the shower.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28No, sir.
0:21:28 > 0:21:35I mean, this is supposed to be a cool, calm...pod,
0:21:35 > 0:21:41but, even with that being the case, mm-mm.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45I'll be the smelly inmate...with minty fresh breath.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49After meeting Alex, I'm keen to hear if there are inmates
0:21:49 > 0:21:52in the other units suffering from mental health issues.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Once I'm let out of my cell,
0:21:57 > 0:22:00I'm escorted to the wing for more serious crimes,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02including murder.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Where we are headed to now, what is it?
0:22:12 > 0:22:13What's it going to actually be like?
0:22:13 > 0:22:16It's going to be set up sort of like where we just were...
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- Mm-hm.- ..but it's high-risk.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21What sort of crimes would they have committed?
0:22:21 > 0:22:26Like big possession felonies, big drug cases...murders.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28So, in terms of atmosphere,
0:22:28 > 0:22:30is it going to be similar to where I've been?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32It's probably going to be a little...a little louder.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34THEY JEER
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- You sure I'm going to be all right?- You're going to be good.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41THEY SHOUT
0:22:45 > 0:22:46We're not going to go in there.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48To say things are different is an understatement.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50- The mood is real different in here, right?- Yes.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08What's up? What's up?
0:23:08 > 0:23:10You all right?
0:23:10 > 0:23:13- How you doing, man? - What up, what up, what up, G?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Eh, eh, eh!- Whoa, whoa! - Talk to me. You got to talk to me.
0:23:16 > 0:23:17You know what it is?
0:23:17 > 0:23:21- Hey, you know what I'm saying? - Hold up, time out!
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- HE RAPS - Whoa, whoa!
0:23:28 > 0:23:29Shhhh!
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Without saying who,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34what sort of cases are the majority of people in here?
0:23:34 > 0:23:36In here?
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Yeah, right here.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Drinking and drugs, and being stupid.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51This particular jail?
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Yeah.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06I want to know what help is given to the inmates on this wing
0:24:06 > 0:24:10who are dealing with mental health issues.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12I commend you, I appreciate what you're doing.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- I, myself, I'm schizophrenic. I'm a mental health patient.- Oh!
0:24:15 > 0:24:17So, are you receiving medication for that?
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Absolutely, yes.- And are you getting counselling as well?
0:24:20 > 0:24:21Absolutely.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25How do you...? What do you use to self-medicate?
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- What do you self-medicate with? - Everything.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Everything from pharmaceuticals to methamphetamine and heroin,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- depending on... - What you can get your hands on.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Trying everything, you know what I mean?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38It's reassuring to hear that some of the inmates
0:24:38 > 0:24:42suffering from mental illness are receiving support within the jail.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45Right, thank you very much, guys.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Shut up time! Shut up time!
0:24:49 > 0:24:51CLAMOUR OF VOICES
0:25:10 > 0:25:13Returning to the AA unit for lunch,
0:25:13 > 0:25:15I'm surprised to see Alex emerge from his cell.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Yo, what's up, Alex?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- Where you sitting, man? - I'm going to sit over there.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Yeah?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Let's have a talk.
0:25:23 > 0:25:24So where did you go?
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Cos I know you went and spoke to the guards about looking at maybe...
0:25:27 > 0:25:31After we talked, I went and I asked the guard if I can see a therapist,
0:25:31 > 0:25:33or counsellor or psychiatrist.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37The guards told me, "If I send you there,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40"most likely you are having suicidal thoughts."
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And when you have suicidal thoughts here, I didn't know that,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45they strip you naked and put you in a cell by yourself.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47I was like, "That's worse."
0:25:47 > 0:25:49So I told them, "No, I'm fine."
0:25:49 > 0:25:54But that lady, I was telling her my problems, what I told you,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59and then she told me just to man up, "Buck up and do your time,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02"and there's not much we can do cos you're already here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04"I know it's tough and I know you miss your mom."
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And I was crying, man. I was crying.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I miss my mom, you know?
0:26:09 > 0:26:12But the fact is...is that... there's no help here, you know?
0:26:12 > 0:26:14There's no help here.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17I couldn't sleep.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19I had the lights on for a while
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and then I saw you turn off your lights,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25and I was like, "If he can sleep, I'm going to go to sleep."
0:26:25 > 0:26:26You could see my cell?
0:26:26 > 0:26:27- Yeah.- You can see my cell window?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Mm-hm.- We both had our first night last night.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32I saw you turn off your lights and I'm like,
0:26:32 > 0:26:33"I'm going to turn off my lights, then."
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So I turned off my lights and I counted 100 backwards
0:26:36 > 0:26:38and I fell asleep.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42It is concerning to hear about Alex's experience
0:26:42 > 0:26:43on the psychiatric wing.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48No, I'm going to try and check it out.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50I want to go and see it. What's it like down there?
0:26:50 > 0:26:51It's a sad, sad sight.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53You really... It's a lot of mental,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56really mentally unstable people down there,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58like, literally, mentally unstable.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03They've never had a mental stability in their head to tell them,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05you know, "What you're doing is wrong,"
0:27:05 > 0:27:07or, "What you're doing is right,"
0:27:07 > 0:27:09or, "What you're doing may not get you to where you want to be."
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Later that evening, I'm invited to the daily prayer group.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35We are starting right now.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39I just want to thank you for giving me another day, Lord,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41that I'm not outside and trying to hustle up some money
0:27:41 > 0:27:44or get some drugs or panhandling, or anything like that.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49He got me in here for a reason, to stay out of trouble
0:27:49 > 0:27:50and learn my lesson.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54I thank God because there's always a new day and a new blessing,
0:27:54 > 0:27:58and a new way of learning, so I just hope everybody take that and learn.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01I want to tell God, if he can take care of my stepfather,
0:28:01 > 0:28:03that would be a bigger blessing for him.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05He's on dialysis in Mexico.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09If he can just get him through until I get out -
0:28:09 > 0:28:10that's all I ask for.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13We can't get out of here without truth, without your love...
0:28:13 > 0:28:15'I'm not exactly the most religious person,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18'but there's something about watching people worship,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22'being involved in prayer, that just makes you feel good.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25'It seems as though everybody here has their own coping mechanism.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27'Some people play cards, some people talk in the day,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31'but for that group of gentlemen, it was...well, it is prayer.'
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Amen.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And up, let's come down!
0:28:35 > 0:28:36Whoo!
0:28:38 > 0:28:41Being in that circle, I felt a sense of security.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Like I said, I'm not religious,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46but if I were here a few months, maybe a year,
0:28:46 > 0:28:51I can imagine that becoming part of my...part of my existence in here,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54which explains why Alex has jumped straight on that.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58I think he's probably going to find a lot of comfort
0:28:58 > 0:29:00in prayer group, in the Bible.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04As the day draws to a close, the inmates prepare to be locked down
0:29:04 > 0:29:06in their cells for another night.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10It's definitely time to take a shower, I think.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12I caught a whiff of myself.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16That's always a sign, when you can smell yourself.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21One of the things I'm least looking forward to,
0:29:21 > 0:29:24but I need to do it. I've got no choice, really.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28It's finally that time.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34SHOWER RUNS
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Truth be told, I always promised myself
0:29:44 > 0:29:48that I would never be in prison, ever.
0:29:48 > 0:29:54And to be here, and to be complicit in the fact that I am still here,
0:29:54 > 0:29:57is something that... doesn't really rub for me.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59You know, it's weird.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I am the reason that I'm here
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and I can change it at any moment.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Nobody is keeping me here, but I want to be here now.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09I think I need to be here...
0:30:09 > 0:30:12out of respect to the fact that these guys are telling me
0:30:12 > 0:30:14their deepest and darkest...
0:30:14 > 0:30:17So, night two.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18I'm about to get my head down again
0:30:18 > 0:30:21after having some noodles for din-dins.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24And then it's another night in here.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28I think I might...might skip that 2am breakfast today, though.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30I think I might do that.
0:30:55 > 0:30:56Today I'm joining Michael,
0:30:56 > 0:30:58one of the inmates from my unit,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01who has been given a job on the psychiatric wing.
0:31:01 > 0:31:02- Where to?- One.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04One and four.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07This is one of the only jails in America
0:31:07 > 0:31:10with a facility dedicated to mental health.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13This is what you've got to wear. This is the uniform.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15- In there?- Yeah.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18I have no idea what I'm walking into right now.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26There's boots in here. Why would you need boots?
0:31:26 > 0:31:28A lot of times the guys will flood their floors
0:31:28 > 0:31:32and we've got to clean them all up, and stuff like that a lot times,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34and we have to do that.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38So, we put boots on so you don't get all the stuff all over you.
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Faeces, you know,
0:31:39 > 0:31:41urine...
0:31:41 > 0:31:43stuff like that. Sometimes it's nasty, it really is.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46So how often and how regular is it that there's...?
0:31:46 > 0:31:48It's on a daily...
0:31:48 > 0:31:50It's a daily basis, sometimes.
0:32:07 > 0:32:08BANGING ON DOOR
0:32:11 > 0:32:13This guy's made a bit of a mess in here.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- He does this a lot, stuff like that. - Yeah.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21'There are 52 beds for mentally ill inmates, all in constant use,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25'and in this unit they are confined for 23 hours a day.'
0:32:26 > 0:32:28The first time you came down here, what was you thinking?
0:32:28 > 0:32:31Because this couldn't be more different to the pod we stay in.
0:32:31 > 0:32:33Oh, it's totally different, yeah. When I first came down here,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36I didn't know what to think about all this and it...
0:32:36 > 0:32:37It took a little bit of getting used to.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40No, go ahead and put it under the door.
0:32:40 > 0:32:41All right...
0:32:41 > 0:32:44All right, I'll get it, just a minute.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46OK.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Get all of it up under the door.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Jail staff supervise the cells and a separate medical team
0:32:53 > 0:32:55handle the inmates' mental health treatment.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Apparently, the inmates are all incredibly unpredictable,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04so, during clean-up, they get taken out of their cells
0:33:04 > 0:33:08and we're sort of left to work... work the mess, as it were.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Nigger!- So...
0:33:10 > 0:33:12- We'll see what happens. - Nigger! Nigger!
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It sounds like this guy, over here,
0:33:14 > 0:33:16isn't the biggest fan of me chatting away on camera.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19- Nigger!- Yeah, he thinks I'm talking about him
0:33:19 > 0:33:23and he's given me a name, which...
0:33:23 > 0:33:26Fucking nigger!
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Erm... I've got a feeling this is going to be...
0:33:30 > 0:33:34this is going to be repeated the entire time that I'm here,
0:33:34 > 0:33:36so I'm going to try and get used to that.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39I've got an 18-inch dick.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41- Oh!- 18-inch love, baby.
0:33:41 > 0:33:43Oh, man. HE CACKLES
0:33:43 > 0:33:44Wow.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47I've got an 18-inch fucking dick.
0:33:48 > 0:33:49Er...
0:33:54 > 0:33:56INMATE DRUMS ON DOOR
0:33:56 > 0:33:58Whoo!
0:34:05 > 0:34:07I think, if Alex were to come in here,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10it wouldn't take long for him to feel incredibly intimidated
0:34:10 > 0:34:14and not really be able to handle it.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17I mean, the state that he was in on that first night,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19if he did come in here,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22I mean, this is far worse. This is infinitely worse.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23He's writing on his window.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26It's not long before the inmate escalates his behaviour
0:34:26 > 0:34:28from shouting to a dirty protest.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- INMATE SHOUTS - Why?
0:34:31 > 0:34:34I've not been told what sort of a mess he's made,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- but I can smell it.- What is that?
0:34:46 > 0:34:48They're going to handcuff him first.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50It looks like he already knows the protocol.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Start moving everything to the other side
0:35:39 > 0:35:40so we can do the other one.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57All right - each towel, sheet.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02Teamwork, teamwork!
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Due to the sensitive nature of the cases here,
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Bexar County have requested we don't speak with the inmates
0:36:09 > 0:36:11or medical team on this wing,
0:36:11 > 0:36:12but I can talk to the sheriffs.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18I mean, I've seen some awful stuff in that unit alone.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Like what?- A guy dug out his eye. - Mental.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23- A guy what?- Dug out his eye.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Dug it out.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28What? Why? What was wrong with the guy?
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- He's a self-mutilator. - And the other one...
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Oh, yeah, the other one who pulled his...
0:36:32 > 0:36:33HE CLEARS HIS THROAT
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Yeah. He pulled one of his...
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Pulled his testicles off.
0:36:39 > 0:36:40He pulled his own testicles off?
0:36:40 > 0:36:42- Yeah.- Yeah.- One of them. - No, he pulled them both off.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44- OK.- Yeah. He pulled them both off.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47So, for somebody who does something like that here,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49I mean, what kind of treatment do they receive?
0:36:49 > 0:36:50I don't know what kind of help they get -
0:36:50 > 0:36:52I know they get a lot of help now.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54- They're real big on the mental health here, which is good.- Yeah.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Do you think you are more empathetic
0:36:56 > 0:36:59to the people who are in mental health department of the unit?
0:36:59 > 0:37:02No, not really. No.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03Why not?
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- I mean...- Are they all just criminals to you?
0:37:05 > 0:37:07No, they're not, they're not criminals.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10I mean, they are trying to get help,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13but, I mean, you start feeling sorry for these guys in here,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15you start feeling sorry for everyone who comes in here,
0:37:15 > 0:37:16and you can't do that.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18You've just got to know, "OK, this is the line."
0:37:18 > 0:37:21I don't want to go this way. I don't want to...
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- "Let me hold you," you know? - You give them what the law requires,
0:37:24 > 0:37:26you give them the rights that they have,
0:37:26 > 0:37:28and that's where it stops.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33That's our job, is to protect them from each other,
0:37:33 > 0:37:35protect each other and keep the county safe.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37- Protect and serve.- Yeah.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- OK, thank you.- Mm-hm.- Thank you very much.- Have a good day.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46I want to know if what Alex heard about the suicide unit is true,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48so I'm going to see for myself.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55Normally, individuals with more serious mental illnesses
0:37:55 > 0:37:58are placed in hospitals rather than the jail,
0:37:58 > 0:38:01but with psychiatric beds in short supply,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03that's not possible for every case.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Oh...
0:38:26 > 0:38:28- Hey, officer, how you doing? - All right.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30So this is the suicide watch unit?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32This is the suicide unit.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34So what's different about this unit to the usual...?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55And the smock is the green, sort of, sheet, right?
0:38:55 > 0:38:57The green, yeah, that's about it.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03They're naked under the smocks?
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It is distressing to see how ill some of the inmates are
0:39:09 > 0:39:11in this unit, but what's more worrying
0:39:11 > 0:39:14is the responsibility for providing care for them
0:39:14 > 0:39:16is in the hands of a local jail.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20I want to speak to one of the senior officers
0:39:20 > 0:39:22about how Bexar County balances its role
0:39:22 > 0:39:26between being an ordinary jail and a psychiatric facility.
0:39:28 > 0:39:29Hey, officer. How you doing?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31- All right, how you doing? - Good to see you again.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- I'm OK, I'm OK. - How did you sleep, all right?
0:39:33 > 0:39:35I'm still unsure where I'm allowed to stand.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37You're good. Over here is good. You're all right.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- Black and yellow lines have got me super paranoid.- Black and yellow.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- You're good.- I've been on clean-up duty today.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45- How did you like that? - Not massively.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48There was a dirty protest earlier, we had to clean that up,
0:39:48 > 0:39:49- that wasn't fun.- No.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52But the psych ward, I mean, it's packed.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Every cell is full.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- Yeah.- There weren't just doctors, there were also officers, as well.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00- Right.- I mean, who takes control of that unit?
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Is there more doctors than officers there?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- What's the balance?- Security and safety is always number one.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Doctors, of course, doctors and nurses, you know,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11we don't overrule their medical advice.
0:40:11 > 0:40:12If somebody needs help, of course,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14we try to make sure they get the help
0:40:14 > 0:40:16that the doctors and nurses can step in and help them -
0:40:16 > 0:40:18but, first and foremost, it's always security.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21If there's something that's going to put them in an unsafe situation,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23we will step in to make sure that doesn't happen.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Some of those guys over there really do need help,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28you actually get some of the guys over there that won't eat,
0:40:28 > 0:40:30they just stare at you. They won't blink.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32They'll just, just start talking to themselves.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34They'll start talking to other people, start yelling.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I mean, anything and everything that you can think of -
0:40:36 > 0:40:38I mean, it's not a movie. It's real life.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39It actually happens.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42- So, for some of these more extreme cases...- Mm-hm.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44..you know, the guys who are doing the dirty protests,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47the guys who are in a cell with nothing in it
0:40:47 > 0:40:48wrapped in a green sheet,
0:40:48 > 0:40:51what kind of treatment are they getting beyond medication,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- beyond the pills?- They do get to actually see the psychiatrist,
0:40:54 > 0:40:56so they do get that personal help,
0:40:56 > 0:40:59whether or not they've got it on the outside, they do get it in here.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01They do get to talk to somebody.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- There is regular counselling? - They do get regular counselling,
0:41:03 > 0:41:05so they do get that. If they move on, beyond that,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08whether they get it or not and follow up with their treatment
0:41:08 > 0:41:10when they get out of here, that's something else to be said.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13But while they are here, they do get that part of it.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15And what determines when they get out?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Them serving time for their crime
0:41:17 > 0:41:19or the mental health professional saying,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21"OK, you are now stable"?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- What's the decision? - Their crime. Their crime.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26When their time is up for their crime, that's when it's up.
0:41:26 > 0:41:27So, in your personal opinion, then,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30do you think they should be getting their treatment here,
0:41:30 > 0:41:31or in a medical facility?
0:41:31 > 0:41:32A medical facility.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35I think they do need to get their treatment in a medical facility.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38This environment is not going to get them help they need.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I think it's a quick fix.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43We keep getting the same people back here, over and over and over again.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44I mean, there's people here,
0:41:44 > 0:41:47they come in here at least once a month for criminal trespassing,
0:41:47 > 0:41:48people who shouldn't be here.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51You know they are crazy, they can't even say what the name is,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54but yet we find them over here because they were somewhere drinking
0:41:54 > 0:41:55or they didn't get their medication.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58We find them right back and everyone can tell you their names.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01We know some of the same people over and over and over again.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05Right...yeah.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Bexar County are doing their best,
0:42:08 > 0:42:10but with inmates often finishing sentences
0:42:10 > 0:42:12regardless of their psychiatric progress,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15and many not getting the necessary help on the outside,
0:42:15 > 0:42:18it's no wonder so many come back again and again.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27When I get back to the AA unit, Alex is struggling to cope.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30What's on your mind, man?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33- I want to go home, yeah.- Yeah?
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Alex, hold it together, man.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42Hold it together, brother, all right?
0:42:42 > 0:42:45So what is it that's making you so worried?
0:42:45 > 0:42:46What's on your mind?
0:42:47 > 0:42:51- I feel like I've been here for a long time.- Yeah.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Is it just not having enough to pass the time?
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Is that what's getting to you?
0:42:55 > 0:42:58- Yeah.- Have you thought about trying to get a job?
0:42:58 > 0:43:00They were supposed to give me one.
0:43:00 > 0:43:02I was working in medical with Michael,
0:43:02 > 0:43:03you know, one of the older guys.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07So we were cleaning medical, but there was a dirty protest.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Do you know what one of those things are?
0:43:10 > 0:43:11You know what a dirty protest is?
0:43:13 > 0:43:17It's when someone makes a protest using their own faeces...
0:43:17 > 0:43:19- Ew!- ..in their cells.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- Oh, no.- You had to clean it?- And we had to go and clean it up, yeah.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Oh, Reggie, that's tough! I thought I had it tough.
0:43:24 > 0:43:28Yeah, you're sitting here in your cell, chilling, reading your Bible,
0:43:28 > 0:43:29and I got it tough.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- I was cleaning...- Shit! - ..shit today.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34Oh, man.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38So while you think you're having a tough time reading your Bible...
0:43:38 > 0:43:40- I'm sorry, man! - ..sitting on your own,
0:43:40 > 0:43:41I'm there trying my hardest
0:43:41 > 0:43:43not to get doo-doo under my fingernails, bro.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44Someone else's doo-doo.
0:43:44 > 0:43:46- You don't get gloves? - Yeah, I got gloves.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48- I'm just trying to make it sound worse than it was.- Oh!
0:43:48 > 0:43:50The longer I spend in this jail,
0:43:50 > 0:43:54the clearer it becomes how challenging this environment can be,
0:43:54 > 0:43:56especially if you're mentally vulnerable.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00So you not only have diabetes, but you suffer with depression.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02You suffer with depression - have you ever had any issues?
0:44:02 > 0:44:04What have you had to deal with?
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- Depression as well. Depression. - So do you think then,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10if people were genuinely honest when it came to being booked in,
0:44:10 > 0:44:12and ticked the right boxes,
0:44:12 > 0:44:15there would be a much higher number of people
0:44:15 > 0:44:19that the institution were aware of that need help...
0:44:19 > 0:44:21- Of course.- ..that have psychological issues,
0:44:21 > 0:44:23or mental health problems?
0:44:23 > 0:44:24Right. Right.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34Goodnight, man.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38Just based on my own personal experiences,
0:44:38 > 0:44:42and based on some of the things that I've been through in my own life,
0:44:42 > 0:44:46it's very easy for me to spiral downwards when things get difficult,
0:44:46 > 0:44:49you know, and to go into myself and to not want to really communicate,
0:44:49 > 0:44:52or not to really want to express myself,
0:44:52 > 0:44:54and I think that's what's happened with Alex.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58He's definitely spiralled downwards at several points.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00I thought that this place would be about the physical.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02I thought it would be about aggression.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04I thought it would be about throwing your weight around
0:45:04 > 0:45:06and making sure that people wouldn't mess with you,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09when, in reality, really,
0:45:09 > 0:45:12it's about what's happening in your own mind,
0:45:12 > 0:45:16and it's about the battle that you are fighting with yourself,
0:45:16 > 0:45:20and letting anxiety and depression beat you.
0:45:21 > 0:45:23They are the two things that everybody I speak to
0:45:23 > 0:45:24seems to suffer with.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27They are the two things that everybody I speak to
0:45:27 > 0:45:30says this place magnifies, which you can understand cos,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32if you're sleeping in here every night,
0:45:32 > 0:45:34of course you're going to get depressed.
0:45:34 > 0:45:36Of course you're going to feel anxious.
0:46:02 > 0:46:03Morning.
0:46:05 > 0:46:06What's up?
0:46:06 > 0:46:09'The next morning, I find out that Demal's court hearing
0:46:09 > 0:46:11'for his shoplifting offence has been delayed.'
0:46:12 > 0:46:14As long as I am home before May,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Mother's Day and all of that, I don't care.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19I don't even want anybody in my family to know I'm here.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21- They don't know you're here?- No.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Where do they think you are?
0:46:23 > 0:46:27They probably just think I'm still here in San Antonio,
0:46:27 > 0:46:28just having fun.
0:46:28 > 0:46:31The reason being is because I was actually the only one
0:46:31 > 0:46:34out of my family that never went to jail,
0:46:34 > 0:46:38so it's like I don't want tell them and then disappoint them,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41so I'm just like, "Oh, well, just leave it alone."
0:46:41 > 0:46:43Once I get time served, they really would never know.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45So you think you're never going to tell them?
0:46:45 > 0:46:48No, I'm never going to tell them. I'm never going to tell them.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50The only way it happens is...
0:46:50 > 0:46:53The only way it happens is, whenever God takes me from here,
0:46:53 > 0:46:55they just get the chance to dig up records,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57that's the only way they're going to find out
0:46:57 > 0:47:00because I'm not going to tell them, never.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11Just feeling that little bit of sun on your face is real nice, man.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13It's pathetic. I feel ridiculous,
0:47:13 > 0:47:15but...just not seeing sunlight
0:47:15 > 0:47:19is enough to make you get excited about this.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26I can honestly say that I've never been in a situation
0:47:26 > 0:47:34this oppressive before. I've never...sort of had these feelings
0:47:34 > 0:47:37of...of frustration.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40Of being out of control. I mean, I'm not a control freak,
0:47:40 > 0:47:44but, for my entire adult life, I've in charge of where I go, what I do,
0:47:44 > 0:47:47when I eat, what I eat, and having that taken away.
0:47:47 > 0:47:51It's a small thing, but you're under a microscope here -
0:47:51 > 0:47:52everything feels magnified,
0:47:52 > 0:47:55everything feels bigger, everything feels exaggerated.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00I don't like what this is doing to my mind.
0:48:00 > 0:48:06I don't like how strong I'm needing to be to silence...
0:48:06 > 0:48:07certain anxieties...
0:48:08 > 0:48:12..or...some feelings of depression, even.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16That room is depressing.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20The fact you can't turn the light out is oppressive.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22If I was in a lesser state of mind,
0:48:22 > 0:48:26I would be really worried for myself, being in here,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30cos I'm starting to see how this place messes with you.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37This morning, I'm going to speak to the man in charge
0:48:37 > 0:48:41of the day-to-day running of this jail - Deputy Chief Reyes.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44What's that, code two?
0:48:44 > 0:48:45- Code two, yes.- What does that mean?
0:48:45 > 0:48:47It's an officer in need of assistance.
0:48:47 > 0:48:51As soon as I meet him, there is an incident that needs his attention.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53It may not be a fight, maybe two inmates arguing
0:48:53 > 0:48:55and the officer's trying to de-escalate it.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57The elevator, right here.
0:48:58 > 0:49:01Stick with me - you look like an inmate running around!
0:49:01 > 0:49:03LAUGHTER
0:49:03 > 0:49:06- Inmate running probably doesn't go down very well!- Exactly.
0:49:06 > 0:49:07MUZAK PLAYS
0:49:07 > 0:49:09- Oh, this is... - Elevator music for you.
0:49:09 > 0:49:13..pretty fitting music on the way up to a code two...
0:49:13 > 0:49:14as you do.
0:49:19 > 0:49:21Here we go.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24Hold on. Watch out. Move out of the way.
0:49:25 > 0:49:30- Stay to the side.- Move, move, move!
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Return back to your cell.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48What the hell just happened?
0:49:48 > 0:49:51What happens is you have a what we call a disruptive inmate,
0:49:51 > 0:49:55so the officer initiated a code two so the response team can
0:49:55 > 0:49:58come to the unit and prevent the incident from escalating
0:49:58 > 0:50:01- to a use of force or to a fight. - So, who exactly are the team?
0:50:01 > 0:50:04- I saw them in the mental health unit.- Right, the individuals...
0:50:04 > 0:50:06- These guys moved a lot quicker today.- Yeah!
0:50:06 > 0:50:08So, the individuals dressed in green
0:50:08 > 0:50:10are what we call our special emergency response team,
0:50:10 > 0:50:13it's a really neat feature to have in our facility,
0:50:13 > 0:50:17but they receive special training in not only in weapons and tactics,
0:50:17 > 0:50:21but in crisis negotiation, hostage negotiation and firefighting.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24- Hostage negotiation?- Right.- Have you ever had anything like that?
0:50:24 > 0:50:27No, luckily, we've never had to deal with a hostage issue here.
0:50:27 > 0:50:29Once the situation is settled down,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32Chief Reyes explains the pressures the system faces
0:50:32 > 0:50:34in handling mental health.
0:50:36 > 0:50:38We're seeing this all across America,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41the jails are becoming the de facto mental health facilities.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45- With the defunding of mental health hospitals...- Yeah.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49..the mental health inmates end up making their way into jails
0:50:49 > 0:50:51and our primary purpose is security -
0:50:51 > 0:50:53we end up having to serve as a treatment facility.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56So if the jail is acting as a treatment facility,
0:50:56 > 0:51:00and you're treating people, how responsible for these inmates
0:51:00 > 0:51:02once they've been treated and their time served are you guys?
0:51:02 > 0:51:05While they are in our custody we're completely responsible for them,
0:51:05 > 0:51:07with their mental health or not.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Once they get released, the responsibility falls on them
0:51:10 > 0:51:13to do follow-up care. And we try to connect them with the services
0:51:13 > 0:51:15in the community, so they can continue those cares, medication...
0:51:15 > 0:51:17They're not going to do that, are they?
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Well, can't force them to do it - they're adults.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21We reach out to the family sometimes.
0:51:21 > 0:51:22We have certain restrictions on release,
0:51:22 > 0:51:25so if we know that there is a mental health individual
0:51:25 > 0:51:26who doesn't do very well at night,
0:51:26 > 0:51:28we have what we call a daylight release.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30You can't do that for everyone, though.
0:51:30 > 0:51:32I mean, if I were a citizen,
0:51:32 > 0:51:34I wouldn't expect you guys to be running checkups on everyone.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37- Right...- I would expect you to be focused on the people
0:51:37 > 0:51:39coming through the door, so you can't be responsible
0:51:39 > 0:51:40for people once they leave.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43The jail doesn't have the resources to do that after care follow-up,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46if you will, but there are programmes in the community
0:51:46 > 0:51:48that specialise in that
0:51:48 > 0:51:50and it's a matter of connecting those individuals
0:51:50 > 0:51:52with those resources -
0:51:52 > 0:51:54but, like with anything, we can't force them to do it.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Returning to the AA unit, I hear Alex has had some good news.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15He's been given a job while he's in jail
0:52:15 > 0:52:16and could, in the next month,
0:52:16 > 0:52:19be moved to a rehab facility to complete his sentence.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22How did it go? How much longer does that mean you'll be in here?
0:52:22 > 0:52:26A week or two, maybe three, tops.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28How do you think you'll cope in here for another week?
0:52:28 > 0:52:30Cos you've been kind of up and down.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32I've got people here that are good people.
0:52:32 > 0:52:33And you've got a job now, too,
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- so you've got something to keep you occupied.- Yeah, man.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Yeah, I got a job. I'm feeding people now!
0:52:38 > 0:52:43- So you're feeling comfortable and you're feeling confident?- Yeah.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47I've got Warren here, I got Dee, my homeboy right here,
0:52:47 > 0:52:50- they're all good people.- Yeah. - They're all good people.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53One of the things that did worry me about you on the first night
0:52:53 > 0:52:55was that you were having suicidal feelings and suicidal thoughts.
0:52:55 > 0:52:58Is that the case now? Do think that might happen again?
0:53:00 > 0:53:02It...
0:53:02 > 0:53:06It makes me think it, but knowing that I have so much,
0:53:06 > 0:53:09that, if I did, I have so much to lose, you know,
0:53:09 > 0:53:12so it's not worth it. I'm not going to be here for long.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14But I don't want to get too comfortable either, man,
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- I don't want to be here at all! - Yeah.
0:53:18 > 0:53:19It's not a good place to live.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22So, I'm going to keep my head up, be strong,
0:53:22 > 0:53:24and even though I have bad thoughts, I just pray to God.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26That's what I do all the time,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29when I have those thoughts, just pray to God.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30That's what my mom says.
0:53:30 > 0:53:34She says it can rain for a long time, but it can't rain forever.
0:53:37 > 0:53:38I'm not sad to leave at all,
0:53:38 > 0:53:40I'm not sad to see the back of this place,
0:53:40 > 0:53:45but I feel really shit for these guys cos they've to stay here.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47A lot of people have to stay here for hell of a long time, as well.
0:53:47 > 0:53:50And they're good kids, most of them,
0:53:50 > 0:53:52they've just done some stupid things to get here.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54I don't know, man. I mean...
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Nobody's here by accident,
0:53:57 > 0:53:59everybody's done something,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01but, in my humble opinion, should they all be here?
0:54:01 > 0:54:04Should they all be in jail for what they've done? No.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Come on, man. If you are 19 and you steal a T-shirt,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09should you go to jail? For a month.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14That just breeds resentment.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16I don't think that that rehabilitates.
0:54:16 > 0:54:21So...I am looking forward to getting my arse out of here
0:54:21 > 0:54:23because this isn't the place for me, by any means.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25But, you know, I've met some good people,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27who've done some stupid things,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29and hopefully won't be seeing this place again,
0:54:29 > 0:54:33but...who knows?
0:54:35 > 0:54:37I'll be leaving tomorrow morning
0:54:37 > 0:54:40and, as Alex is due to start a night in his new job,
0:54:40 > 0:54:41I say my goodbyes now.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47- Yo.- Hey, Reggie.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49By the time you wake up in the morning,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51I'll probably be out of here.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54- Yeah?- Cos I'm going to go first thing, pretty much.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56About 10, 11 o'clock, I reckon, it'll be.
0:54:56 > 0:54:57- Oh, wow.- I'll be out of here,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00so you'll still be working, if not fast asleep, right?
0:55:00 > 0:55:02- Yeah. All right. - Pleasure meeting you, man.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06- You, too, Reggie. - Come here, bruv.- Yeah, man.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Hey, hey, I never got your last name.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11- Yates.- Yates?
0:55:11 > 0:55:12- Yeah.- Like...
0:55:12 > 0:55:16- Not Gates, Yates.- Yeah.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18- All right, all right, all right. All right.- Keep your head up, bro.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21- Reggie Yates. I'll look you up, man. - Please do.- All right.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40I mean, there's no direct windows to the sunlight.
0:55:40 > 0:55:43So you have to sort of judge by little bits of light
0:55:43 > 0:55:45that come through,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48and, yeah, it looks like there might just be a nice bit of sun
0:55:48 > 0:55:49out there today.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53Perfect day for release, I think.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16- Nice meeting you, man. - You too, bruv.
0:56:16 > 0:56:17- Hey, be careful, bro.- I'll try.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19I'm out. Nice to meet you.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21Pleasure to meet you.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23- I'm out.- Whoo!
0:56:44 > 0:56:46You just go over there.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53It's so crazy, just being this close to the exit door,
0:56:53 > 0:56:55you can hardly feel...
0:56:55 > 0:56:57You can feel how different the air feels on your face and...
0:56:57 > 0:57:00it just smells different in here, as well.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04All right, sir, do me a favour.
0:57:04 > 0:57:05Can you have a seat on that metal bench?
0:57:05 > 0:57:06We'll be right with you.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14- Yates, Reginald.- That's me.
0:57:16 > 0:57:17Good luck.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21Thumb.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25We're doing one of each, one at a time.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28'As my time here comes to an end,
0:57:28 > 0:57:31'I can't help but question whether jail is the right environment
0:57:31 > 0:57:33'for some of the inmates I've met.'
0:57:37 > 0:57:39Every item of clothing I put on,
0:57:39 > 0:57:43I'm starting to feel more and more like me again.
0:57:43 > 0:57:47It's the strangest feeling in the world.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Yes!
0:57:51 > 0:57:54This is... This is me,
0:57:54 > 0:57:56so...
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Incarcerating such large numbers of people for such low-level crimes
0:58:06 > 0:58:09seems to create more problems than it solves.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19Bexar County are doing more for the mentally ill than most jails...
0:58:23 > 0:58:26..but the system as a whole has some way to go
0:58:26 > 0:58:29before it's really working for those who need it.
0:58:37 > 0:58:39My eyes are killing me!
0:58:42 > 0:58:44Whoa.
0:58:48 > 0:58:50Never again.