Broward County Jail

Inmates

Interview with James

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

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

JM: Were you able to choose an inmate if you knew one?
James: Sometimes if you were tight with the deputy, he would switch your room, but it wasn't often. I personally am a HORRIBLE snorer which caused a lot of problems. At North Broward in the psych cell, you could switch without authorization, but I preferred the floor in the day room, and one deputy forced me to go to a room.