First Time Behind Bars: How to Prepare for Prison | Free Documentary

foreign [Music] [Music] you up you're on a bus full of guys that's dealing with the same fate as you I felt my freedom being taken away I knew that was my fate I had to draw from within if I had what it took to survive [Music] or I didn't unfortunately I'm here today to tell you I survived you see what you made out of for real because you're going to be put to the test [Music] they played a women's league come on go ahead yeah save this well Sophia's gotta eat some if you could demonstrate this might be the important year of the rates were Italian start Council will delay you have the right to telephone any lawyer your wish [Music] lawyer you understand that yes do you wish to call lawyer no have you called contacted the lawyer yes [Music] this building was the start of my nightmare and my family's nightmare as well ah man it brings back memory I spent two months working on this place getting it ready for a construction company so we ended up renting the building to these business people from Toronto and they started to grow up in here had nothing to do with us but uh here we are start of a nightmare tomorrow we're going to court if the verdict is guilty then what's going to happen is the judge is going to sit there and he's going to say how much time your dad will get in jail so if it is two years if it's two years and your dad we come home tomorrow and we say Dad the judge told your dad that he's getting two years in jail well you won't know that tomorrow we're going to get the verdict innocent or guilty yeah but from what I understand they won't set for my Paul says it'll be maybe a month before sentencing court happens why can we come the courts aren't for you guys you don't want to see your dad up there like that and the judge and all the lawyers and there might be media there and you know what kids shouldn't be in a courtroom especially Angelo he's too young [Music] [Music] [Music] a student at Wayne State University is facing criminal charges and has been expelled from school but the question tonight is he the perpetrator or is he a victim Demario McMurray called campus police after he says a group of young men started harassing him because he's gay [Music] every time I go to court I just get a feeling that I could one day go in and not come out [Music] [Music] on account of strangulation they say that it's assault with one intent less than murder something like that [Music] it's possible that I can have the maximum of 10 years in prison which is devastating to anyone who has never been in trouble before my mother and I both thought that I was on my way to bigger and better things I was going to be the first openly gay African-American president of the United States of America my life had just begun all right case number 14 hyphen zero zero eight five five six hyphen zero one FH people of the state of Michigan versus Demario Alonzo McMurray appearances I'm pleased to call you on apologize thank you good morning your honor Christopher Kessel on behalf of Mr McMurray you're on our first with respect to the motion to suppress Mr McMurray through the 14th and fifth amendment has a right to not make incriminating statements to not be questioned without his rights having been read to him that is of course through Miranda and subsequent decisions there was no the the response which uh Mr McMurray gave was not in response to any specific question that was posed to him no is that true I don't believe it is Judge the the officer said tell me what happened and Mr McMurray began talking I know the office questions I think and were in general and general enough to determine what had happened there was a prior incident and then this was another incident and I think based on that inquiry first of all I don't think the Defenders stop the defendant in this particular case was the target of the uh wrestling police officer nothing should have been inquired of the defendant relative to the incident so you may have a legitimate defense here right well I certainly believe that yeah okay well if you have a legitimate defense then it can be tested by a jury oftentimes I look at these young men as if they were my children and how would I be dealing with them as a father if someone has committed a very serious crime even though they're young I've got no problem with sending them to prison for a substantial period of time [Music] we chose to sell the house other people wanted the equity of the house which I get [Music] it's tough like you have a lot of emotion bought the house for a reason you didn't just buy it you know as a house and it's an asset you bought it because you thought it was a home you thought you were going to raise your kids there [Music] [Music] the day I got arrested it was kind of unexpected I felt like something was coming but I didn't know something was coming I woke up to the sound of police officers banging on my front door foreign I think the hardest thing about being arrested for me was calling my dad I got a call from Courtney and they were accusing her of misappropriation of funds and so you know my initial reaction is well obviously they're wrong I didn't know what happened I didn't know the magnitude I didn't know anything would happen until we went to court and in court they they read out the the accusations and the what the crime was and stuff and holy cow unbelievable there's so many questions then how does this ever happen I have no answers financially I was drowning something just had to give and once you start it's like a rush and an addiction and um I was just trying to claw my way back out just to see the light again and figure out what was going on and how to get back on track and it just got out of control foreign [Music] no sure [Music] last chance for someone like me who's never gone through anything like this you have no idea what to expect I mean I feel like I've gone to hell and back already I mean I've lost my fiance over it I've embarrassed my family like I feel so awful for them and I feel even more awful for what's coming at them down the pipe it's not even full-blown yet um I've essentially kissed my career goodbye which I worked my ass off to get um I've lost my house right um we lost a baby in the process between stress and everything else I hired a prison consultant to come in and talked about what to expect and what not to expect we have a very different perspective on Prison versus most people I mean he's been there for 21 plus years of his own life [Music] Courtney's looking at five years at this point is what the crown is looking for in her case she's typical of a lot of my clients she has absolutely no experience with the system in any way shape or form this is a first time offense she's 30 years of age or darn near and this is just so entirely out of her element and I think she's terrified certainly from a physical perspective having no experience to draw from she's never had a fight in her life and I think she's fearful of going in there and maybe never being the same person again losing her sanity in the process [Music] October 24th 1982 I made it what you would consider an impulsive decision decide to snatch a purse randomly as I was attempting to lead I encountered a security guard I disarmed him he had a gun I had a knife I disarmed him and continued to try to uh elude him didn't want to hurt him obviously he didn't want to hurt me and as I was attempting to leave another security guard open up shot me in the back paralyze me that was pretty much the the extent of my criminal career shot very short-lived right here I landed right here that's why I just made my last steps right here changed my whole life I lost a different future one decision can cost you more than you willing to pay tomorrow's the big case the big verdict we are all hoping and praying a lot of prayers that um he's found not guilty if he is found guilty it's going to turn my entire life my kid's life upside down you know what it is about this court system I'm I wish I was sure I wish I could go in there and say you know what I'm positive that he's going to be found not guilty and everything's happy and we're good and we're safe and the kids will be fine and it's there's nothing like that it's such unsurdy and I hate it I hate feeling like I have no control over anything that happens in that courtroom nothing over what the judge is thinking you know my kids I have no control and I'm supposed to be this strong person for them when I don't know I I can't do it I'm falling apart in front of them I'm good to a point and then behind closed doors with Joe Myself by ourselves I'm not good I need to be able to be really strong for them so that they're not scared hello yes honey where I gotta go to the bank okay no you should be able to pull from the other account yeah and will you stop crying okay but stop crying we will get through this stop crying okay all right bye bye [Music] [Music] city of Detroit always had a history of being a very violent city we've always led the nation have been among the leaders and when it comes to violent crime [Music] if you've never been incarcerated I would imagine it's a very terrifying environment uh because you're coming into a situation where now everything that you do is regulated you have no control over what you do at any given point in time we're going to tell you what time to go to bed what time to wake up what time you're going to eat what time you go to Recreation we tell you what you eat you have no say-so in that decision whatsoever and you come into an environment with a bunch of very dangerous [Music] you're coming into a situation that is not very pleasant at all and it shouldn't be Demario as most people I was obviously terrified at the thought of going to prison you know obviously you spend five minutes with the Mario and you understand why he might be more nervous than most if if he's the subject of abuse and harassment on the streets you can imagine you know because of his sexuality you can imagine the kind of things that might happen to him if he's in prison The Story of My Life the autobiography by Demario McMurray favorite things to do our talk because I love to hear my voice I love to sing and write gospel music because It prepares me for my future plus it keeps me out of trouble my favorite TV show is Charmed I like this show because of the witches and the magic they do my favorite movie is the gospel I enjoyed this movie because it's about prayer and the power of forgiveness um the Mario also goes on to mention the goals that he was setting for himself at this time and he wanted to be a lawyer or if that didn't pan out a gospel singer Demario started getting bullied I think when he was in the fifth grade [Music] for standing up for himself I really admire him for that [Music] while I was walking I seen this little girl I knew [Music] I said hey little sadly the day of the incident on September 8th I called my mother she broke down it was like a sleep from a movie [Music] they processed me and they booked me I had to take a a mug shot I had to sit in the cell like behind bars for an entire week made me feel like I was human or I was just this otherworldly creature just I could never I couldn't stay there another day I'd rather not be on earth period than to sit one more day in jail with someone telling me when I have to go to bed or calling me out my name like I'm not an actual human just been tough today just moving has been brutal parole wise I have to be out tonight you know you'll be looking back at just one day and you'll be stronger for it and I also know you feel at the root of this always that it's that that you brought yourself here and that you wish you could go back and change things that you cannot so I know it's hard you know you're doing everything in your power to make the best of this and to handle it and I know it doesn't feel like it but in war Parts you know I just have to get there I'm just not I just don't know how to get there like I feel like I'm stuck on this island and I can see the boat but I don't know how to get the most absolutely initially there wasn't a lot of communication as to what actually happened you know she was very held her cards very close to the vest and and and wasn't openly openly commutative about what went on and then when once she hooked up with a with a legal counsel then the doors were shut I'd ask her questions and say Dad I can't talk to you about that it's uh it's all confidential you know I've got two daughters and and they're both my best friends and and here's one of my best friends shutting the door on me this also represents six years of me and Mark basically um about closing right a chapter well and I don't think the mark stuff's gonna hit me right away I think the mark stuff will hit me later on like next week or something else like I'm so terrified about the peanut thing tomorrow like I can't even I'm not even on to Mark yet like I just you know at least Mark's like pushed me away and he's kept distance and stuff but with peanut like even packing I can't leave a room she comes running after me so oh man I'm scared if I let the walls down though I won't get through this [Music] it could be fed time it could be two years now even if they ask for more on you three to five that doesn't mean the judge has to give you more than two years and can still give your house a rest don't worry about whatever it is it is I know you're worried consider your face it's okay this case has bothered me from the get-go when you're friends with somebody it just bothers me when I in this particular case the way I'm starting to see the I wasn't sure at the beginning you know I didn't know you from Adam and I didn't you know it looks pretty bad but as I got to know you and I got to see more of the case I believe every word you say and I it bothers me and I don't and I you're innocent and I should have been able to prove it and I'm upset I mean right don't say that yet you never [Music] you never [Music] that judge saw a whole different story beside the way a whole different story they saw the way it was presented by the crown and because Jose maintains his innocence I know he's put himself through a lot and all these years is not easy it's been almost five years that he's been carrying us on his shoulders looking at his children knowing in the back of his mind what might happen and now it's gonna happen so I suppose the quicker it happens better it is and get it over with now you have to tell the probation officer that although I'm not guilty I can understand why the judge is thinking about understanding I'm not lying there's no reason for me to lie oh God yes there is because you need to be able to get house arrest if you don't get house arrest our lives are ruined do you understand what you have to do now you have to play the game now yeah it's no longer about telling the truth and defending yourself because that didn't work foreign [Music] I could possibly lose every single thing I've already lost a lot I lost the scholarships that I got I lost tuition money I lost everything I I lost basically my entire life and with prison I lose all possible freedom and there's no coming back from that on September 8th 2014 did you have some contact with the Demario McMurray yes I did myself along with other Wayne state officers were called to one of the Wayne State dormitories what was your purpose to investigate a assault and battery that just occurred another unit of mine that arrived at the same time I did they spoke with the victim while I went to the third floor to speak with the other half of the incident Mr McMurray had you had any contact with Mr McMurray prior to September the 8th I guess at that this point I'll object your honor I don't know how that's relevant to whether or not my client was advised of his Miranda rights when he was speaking to this well I guess we don't know we'll have to see as to whether or not there's some relevancy associated with it the objection's overruled and what was the contact that you have Mr McMurray had reported that he had been a victim of a hate crime no further questions just so we're clear before you began asking Mr McMurray these questions you never read him his Miranda rights is that correct correct does not read him his rights because he was not under arrest at that time was Mr McMurray free to leave no it was not thank you I have nothing else Jeff you may step down officer Hill's calling how are you hi good that's good I'm just calling um because as we discussed I had to advise you of my address change since I've moved today as of tonight I'll be sleeping at my mom's house all right I'll note that in the system and then uh your phone number is still going to be remaining the same right yes will you be contacting me or will my new parole officer be contacting me then going forward um I I will give you further instructions um you ready thank you [Music] just let me know when you're done then [Music] talk to you later yep laughs [Music] judge I think this case Falls perfectly within the the rubric of custodial and interrogation and I would ask that any statements made by Mr McMurray be suppressed as the result of a violation of his Fifth Amendment rights thank you Mr McMurray had been a victim just a week or two prior because these people have some relationship together so when the officer asked Mr McMurray what happened Mr McMurray went on to say well the two girls came into my room I tried to put them out of my room and then at some point I blanked out and I had my hands around her neck and I was strangling her um the Court denies the motion to suppress the statement that was made by the defendant judge you know other than the officer I mean he's only going to save Person of Interest but if something keep talking if I may judge if if there's a victim I'm being facetious with you I know it's over thank you sir the so-called tough on crime initiatives have not worked we still live in the most violent country in the world that is westernized now I'm not suggesting for a moment that people who commit crimes should not be incarcerated but I think that we are making an investment in the wrong place the investment is going on the back end building more prisons and increasing incarceration when I think it should go on the front end by trying to prevent people from becoming involved in crime so I'm a strong proponent of crime prevention and investing your money up front to keep people out of trouble if it weren't for the fact that I'm very confident still that we can work this out to the misdemeanor that gets swiped off your record I'd be saying we should do what's called an interlocutory appeal which means send this up to the court of appeals because I don't think I don't think any question that you know you were the suspect you know the person of interest I don't care what they call you obviously they went to this place because they were alleging you had us all to this girl and then they went and asked you questions and it doesn't you know it matters if the question is did you have peanut butter and jelly for lunch today because that's not liable to get you to say oh I did all kinds of bad things but when you say what happened that's liable to you know and tell them what happened that's why you're liable to say things that you have a right not to have to say what we'll do is we'll sit tight until the first week of January is over um and I'll if we're going to be back here on the 16th at 8 30 you'll hear from me a few days before then okay okay all right tomorrow have a good holiday okay thank you all right [Music] moving forward so the list I have here from today and from what we've done in the past couple days support letters we've got what a dozen confirmed is that accurate with you as well haircut tomorrow yeah and we know why we're doing this manageability potential lockdowns lack of shower time grooming needs plus eliminating any chance of somebody being able to use that uh physically against you grabbing your hair okay travel to the jail decide you know I'm six foot three leaves told me going in like you're going to be a Target and it's not because you're white it's not because you're female it's none of that it's you're six foot three your presence in there and nobody knows who you are he goes you've got no reputation you're a first time offender people are going to test you I'll set up two more contacts for you from former female inmates with with Decades of experience over the course prison can change people people become emotionally devoid they put a mask on to survive you toughen up you don't allow yourself to cry you don't allow yourself to feel this you don't smile you do all these different things because this is what you need to do in your surroundings now as time passes unfortunately what what can and often does happen is this no longer is an act and this becomes the person and so the longer this goes on the more of a risk you run of this person actually losing a big part of who they were It's just tough like I've just become someone that I'm not to survive when I'm in there and then change back to the person that I am but not lose the person that I am when I'm in there I don't like it's a lot I don't but if we look at it from a tactical perspective no differently than we were talking about this but um preparing for a movie role and I know it's not the same but this is a role of a lifetime if you look at it like that and it's one that's really important for you you feel confident that you're going to be able to put on a poker face right now no all right well that's something we're going to really work on yeah there's a possibility he might go to prison I think he'll be like six months or 15 months something like that but honestly I don't think it'll be that big of a problem I think we'll just get through it you know as a family next month will be uh pretty scary for my family and uh hopefully we'll get closer and you know have more family time and movie night and I don't know family dinner that'd be cool it'll just be hard you know it's kind of hard seeing the guy that you love go to jail I don't really care he was innocent guilty I just want to get it over with my biggest Authority is if he goes to jail for a long time like two years five years three years and I don't really miss him but if it's like eight months I don't really care about it because I just want to get this over with it's been four years since it happened I took pictures of my toys that I don't play with and I just wanted my iPod and post them on Kijiji for money when they get the money I wanna give some to my dad uh he's having trouble with taxes mortgages bills and all that so it's kind of hard I only think he's going to jail but he is so what can you do what do you what did you do today [Music] ready hold on when a person is incarcerated they can't be a father they can't be a son an uncle a friend a husband there are all kinds of opportunities that they don't have to be involved in the social fabric of of the community or the lives of the people that care about them and that they care about [Music] so it has a dramatic impact especially on young children when you know that you know Dad or Mom are incarcerated you can only see them uh on it on an infrequent visit in the visit sometimes pretty frightening and humiliating especially to young children that high incarceration rate is not good for a community when my son going there I can't can handle that if my son is convicted I think a big part of me will die because I did not raise him for this I did and I try not to think about it and like I said I just have to pray a lot and I just hope that he doesn't go and everything works out [Music] majority of my clients are certainly heading into a world that is dark that is scary [Music] I'm not being killed in prison dying in prison rape I think that's very scary for most people to to sit there and try to visualize how they would make it through it that does suck it does I'll tell you what what it comes down if you have to walk into here you will be walking out and that's the part to keep focus on is coming over [Music] I know okay I'm gonna walk for a sec all right just give me a we've droved for life you know me today and what am I I'm after 25 years of no shitholes know but if you do come here it'll take months I'm guessing yeah eight months of you know what yeah okay slow slow time every day being the same I don't know how much they use the outside here it doesn't look like you would think this would be yard time right now I don't know [Music] because it's gonna be killing a winter here I'm not going to do well in there [Music] [Music] foreign 14 years is a long time and it was uh terrifying to say the least they put me in a segregation sale no accommodations for somebody like in my condition and and when I would have to take a shower it was just a regular stall shower big shower no bench no nothing to sit on and I actually had to crawl under the shower head and the officer would turn it on and I would have to crawl on the floor get out my chair and crawl into the shower to to wash up and that was one of the most difficult times in my life I don't know how I survive that but I did I made it and made up in my mind at that time that I would I got up and showered every day [Music] huh hello yes it's good how are you good you know she got gay people or anything like that like you guys were friends but you know she also understands that [Applause] okay you know we'll get okay I'll let you enjoy seeing just definitely okay all right I will see you tomorrow morning okay okay thank you [Music] what's going on tomorrow you don't want to play have to plead guilty I understand I do but you know I'm here for you but that's just really tough right now for him because his whole life got changed upside down and everyone else that was involved was able to go on with their lives and it's just not fair thank you [Music] [Music] [Music] what else did you want to put in that letter [Music] put down at your church that's important I put down I don't think anything you say to them is gonna matter right now well Sophia Carlo they're sleeping honey did you give Dad a kiss [Music] all right I love you kid I love you what do you think what's the word verdict today I don't know no no prediction no no no so yeah I'm going okay go back to sleep Carlo Carlo I'm going okay [Music] foreign [Music] you won't really understand how I feel the United States have the largest percentage of its people in prison than any place on the planet yet we have more crime than any place else that's a contradiction it's not working jail should be for people that we're afraid of not that we're mad at I can only imagine what a nightmare this is for her which he's and how terrified she is about the whole thought process of having to go to prison and and spend a day much less a year or two years in prison it's going to be a nightmare but it's going to be hopefully a nightmare that she gets through I'm not sure she'll be a better person for it but she'll have done her time and and we can move on and pick up the pieces and try and make the best of what we can do [Music] my girls are everything to me when these walls went up when these walls went up a big part of your last big part of me and so um when I was approached to both doing this and approached about being a part of this and my initial reaction was no get myself out there and [Music] but then in thinking about it I I had to put myself out there for Courtney sorry I had to let her know I was in her corner all right today's the date and time schedule for sensing and Mr McMurray have you had the opportunity of reviewing the presets investigation report we do find it to be factually accurate with no additions Corrections or deletions Mr McMurray is that correct yes okay Ms Brown do you wish to say anything further to me on behalf of the people before I impose Sun Singer Mr McMurray the complainant is here and she'd also like to address the court urine absolutely please ever step forward how is this uh uh behavior of Mr McMurray impacted or affected you um it's definitely impacted me a lot what he did was intentional it wasn't an accident and I feel like as like she even said that he would do it again I don't feel like it was something that was it was planned okay all right and you believe that the resolution of this case as has been worked out by the prosecuting attorney meets with your approval yeah all right judge with respect to excuse me some of Ms and aqua's statements I would just point out to the court um that while Mr McMurray does have no excuse for his actions that these actions occurred because Ms an aqua arrived at my client's place of residence this is not the time to I understand defend your clients Behavior he's already admitted having committed a very serious crime I understand and so um castigating or denigrating or criticizing in any way shape or form at this particular juncture of a victim of a crime is in my opinion ludicrous all right Mr McMurray it is the sons of this court that you be placed on probation for a period of two years here to undergo a psychological evaluation and treatment I want you to obtain 40 hours of employment per week or be a full-time student you understand good luck thank you okay you're all set right not really you're good don't worry am I I don't know you'll be able to do this 15th and 30th mortgage Colin takes it out automatically correct you know what I'm worried about Josie Insurance do I call them and yes you're gonna have to redo it do that today second is uh awesome Wildwood why is something so stupid after ruin my life so bad as well every negative there's a positive Apple where okay so you made a really close friends okay no no okay there's a positive yes I found who my real friends are you found out who your real friends are uh your company I'm still still exists yeah that's good so you found out and you found out a lot of people wrote letters for you so they they you know you know they really do think highly of you uh what else let's say hang on I'm trying to think there's not much else trust me okay maybe there's not a lot so well I love you so let's go back that's our time is it yeah time is it [Music] which is another African-American kid who messed up and ended up in front of a judge for the first time and I feel like that's all they will ever see me as until I do something to change that I may not be the president now but I can still make a difference in the same way that the president could make a difference I might be on probation but I didn't lose because I'm not broken [Music] [Music] all I can say man is it's beautiful to be free just to be able to go places and do things that you took for granted at one time I took freedom for granted at one time and I'll never do that again foreign [Music] I'm just grateful to be alive man glad to be here [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary

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Id: 0O7Vd-bxqlo

Length: 58min 10sec (3490 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 28 2023