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tv   Lockup  MSNBC  March 22, 2014 7:00pm-8:01pm PDT

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i guess some people look at you and don't like you for some reason, they just target in on you. >> a new inmate tries to adjust to life in jail. >> my monkey before, he kidnapped somebody at gunpoint so you just -- you don't know who you're sleeping with. >> but he finds himself with a target on his back and the victim of violence. a drug smuggling scheme is uncovered in the mail's mail
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room. >> two carts glued together with four decks of heroin taped inside. the suspect is identified. >> i mean, i look -- i look guilty there but if you look deeper into my background, you'll see that i don't have a reason for it. >> but will his claims of innocence hold up? located just across the hudson river from america's largest city, hackensack, new jersey, is one of its oldest. while some consider it a suburb of new york city, hackensack has its own character and faces its own challenges. you can find examples just outside downtown at the bergen county jail. >> he's cleared.
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>> while some of the men and women incarcerated here have been convicted, most are only charged with crimes and are awaiting trial and the resolution of their cases. >> this is count country club compared to my county. >> will william bernard might disagree with the country club description. except for a brief stay for driving with a suspended license, this is his first extended stay in jail. bernard says his four months here have cost him panic attacks and worsened his stuttering. >> like i would stutter sometimes when the anxiety level would get real high on the outside but nothing like on a -- like on a daily basis to where the guys on the unit would be making fun of me because that's -- you know, the way i'm talking everyday. >> i guess some people look at
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you and don't like you for some reason. they just target in on you and a lot of them have been in there for ten months, 12 months so they're -- they're already basically, you know, all settled in and, you know, i'm basically the new. >> bernard is charged with threatening to kill and unlawful use of a firearm for allegedly holding a b.b. gun pistol to his father's head. during the course of his arrest, he picked up additional charges of resisting and assault on police officers. he's pled not guilty to all and is awaiting trial. >> if i really think about the future, it really -- being contained and not being able to see my family and just be -- way overwhelming. >> reporter: adding to bernard's stress is the fact that he's housed in a maximum security unit. he says he spends most of his time in a cell and trusts no one, not even the inmate worker who used to cut his hair. >> my barber, he stabbed somebody 27 times and they wound
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up taking him out of the unit after a couple months of him being there, then he bailed out from there and got into a fire fight with police officers and got shot seven times. my bunky before, he kidnapped somebody at gunpoint, was doing all types of drugs, he was doing robberies. so you just don't know who you're sleeping with. >> one of the times bernard does leave his cell is to perform his duties as a unit maintenance worker, but he says even that led to trouble when another inmate got angry because bernard threw away the lid to his soup bowl. >> he came from behind me and he just smacked me and smacked all the stuff out of my hands, so all over the floor. >> because of his fear of being a snitch, bernard says he does not report his harassment to staff and he says it was another set of problems in the free world that put him in this predicament. >> after my ex had left me she had my daughter, we had
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hurricane irene, the house was wiped out and then we started -- the house was done, we moved back in and six weeks later sandy came and it was just like a one-two punch and then i started drinking. like, real -- pretty heavy. like i won't deny it. >> on the night of his arrest, bernard says his father accused him of stealing his keys and wallet. when bernard denied doing so he says a heated argument ensued. >> he said that i put a gun to his head and that i was going to kill him which wasn't true and when they came to arrest me i was on the second floor of my home and when they tried to take me down to handcuff me the three officers wound up throwing me down the flight of stairs by accident and i split my head open and i broke my two ribs. >> according to the arresting officers' report, bernard was belligerent and began fighting with three officers as theys a
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send it had staircase. they said bernard attempted to jump down the stairs and landed face-first before sliding down to the landing. now bernard fears if his case goes to trial his father will testify against him. >> it's just unbelievably heartbroken and overwhelmed that i was actually put into a situation with my father because i love my father. i'm very family oriented. it's just absolutely heartbreaking. >> while alcohol could have played a role in bernard's troubles, jail staff say that lately they've seen another drug leading to increased arrests -- heroin. >> one of the key components to heroin being very popular is that, you know, the opiate pills that normally are prescribed for pain are being abused by kids who eventually turn over to heroin because it costs a lot less money on the street. >> addiction also drives some
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inmates to feed their habits in jail. >> not that it happens often but there are occasions when the mail will be used to try and bring contraband into the facility and inmates become very ingenious and get relatives to try and mail them contraband drugs. >> this officer was recently on mail room duty when he came across a suspicious birthday card. the card was turned over to one of the jail's investigators. >> two cards glued together with four decks of heroine taped insi inside it was addressed to inmate pataglia. >> the recipient of the card was immediately removed from his housing unit and confined to a single person segregation cell. >> as far as inmate pataglia, no dealings with him at all inside the facility. very quiet inmate. seemed to be very respectful but the way heroin takes over your
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body it can change everybody. >> pataglia admits prior to his arrest for aggravated assault to which he pleaded not guilty he had completed a drug rehabilitation program. he says he knows nothing about the heroin-laced card. >> really i didn't have anything to do with it. i've been clean 17 months now. i never lived before -- until i was sober. the sober life was the best life. . >> i feel that someone -- maybe my bunky, we've been bunkies for 12 to 13 days, maybe used my name so they didn't have to worry themselves about it. i'm facing too much to even risk something like that. it that's another five years and i'm looking -- my max is ten years on my charges i have that. >> there may be criminal charges filed against inmate battaglia,
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more than likely not because of the small amount that was coming in. and being that the return address is phony there's no way to determine who actually sent it in. >> but battaglia does not know that yet. >> if they find me guilty i'm going to be upset because i can't risk another charge. >> instead of criminal charges back tag leia and his cellmate, who requested to remain anonymous, will each be investigated and receive disciplinary hearings. >> how are you going to fight this case? >> my words. i'm going to tell the truth. the first place i would look is the bunky. >> coming up -- >> when you moved into the cell with battaglia, are you aware of him doing that? >> battaglia's bunky speaks out. and william bernard is the subject of a jailhouse rumor. >> he said that you're a [ bleep ] snitch. >> and the rumor leads to violence.
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inside hackensack new jersey's bergen county jail, an officer revealed strips of heroin in a greeting card mailed to inmate battaglia. >> it could cause a potential problem because you have 800 other inmates you're dealing with here and you need somebody to be sane and the drug is going to obviously incapacitate somebody and make them not act appropriately. >> battaglia denies any knowledge of the card and has told staff he suspects his cellmate might have been behind the scheme. jail officials have conducted an investigation. they have decided not to pursue criminal charges but will conduct internal disciplinary hearings starting with battaglia's cellmate who has requested anonymity. >> there was a birthday card
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that was sent into the facility through the mail, the birthday card was tampered with. there was actually four bags of heroin in between the two birthday cards. the birthday carded that e-number of your roommate. so can you make a statement on what your involvement is with this or -- >> i have no involvement at all with that. at all. only involvement i can see me having is being his celly. >> are you aware of him doing this? >> i was not aware of anything like that. . so you had no involvement with this at all. >> at all. >> you could step back out, i'll come see you in a few moments and let you know our decision, okay? >> yes. >> now the panel will hear from nick battaglia. >> there was a birthday card mailed in that had four bags of white powdery substance, possibly heroin, so now is your chance to make a statement here. >> my name was on the card so obviously i'm a prime suspect, i'm not saying i'm not. i mean, i look guilty there. but if you look deeper into my
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background, you'll see that i don't have a reason for it. i have 17 months clean. never once had a dirty miss for alcoholover any kinds of substances. i get money in my account regularly so i don't need to sell the drugs. >> i want to know why your e-number would be on that envelope. >> i didn't -- i didn't give them permission. >> give who who permission? >> my roommate. i didn't give him permission at all to send anything like that -- i don't -- >> so you're aware he was getting it sent to him but you didn't give him permission to use your e-number. >> i assumed now that i seen him in i assumed he had something to do with it. >> why do you feel that way? >> because he knew it was my birthday. he was in my room. he had access to my mail. i felt like if it was anybody it would be him. nobody would be stupid you have no go in my room, you know, when i'm not there. anybody other than my roommate, you know. >> but you don't know for sure
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that he did it. >> no, i don't. i can't be 100%. if i would have known that it was coming in my name beforehand i would have said something. >> step outside in the hallway, i'll call you back in in a few minutes. >> there's no way i can get around it. liked the my name on it. the only thing i have that working for me is my background and hopefully that works out for me. >> while battaglia's hopeful, there's a lot about the extent of the investigation that he doesn't know. >> during the course of the investigation it was proven that inmate battaglia and his cellmate were in cahoots in an attempt to get the heroin in. >> at the bergen county jail, this call may be monitored or recorded. >> the jail says it has phone recordings of battaglia and his cellmate setting up the scheme. >> in this particular case, some information was developed through the use of the phone system to conclusively determine that he said two gentlemen were trying to bring in heroin into the facility utilizing the mail and mail system into the jail. >> all right, so we'll call
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battaglia back in and we'll let him know that we have concrete proof that he's involved in this and if he's willing to tell us how much involvement he had, if he's going to let us know he'll get less time. if he's going deny it and keep continually saying he doesn't know he'll get the maximum. >> according to disciplinary guidelines, the panel could cut battaglia in segregation for up to 15 days. >> i just want to let you know that we have concrete evidence that your roommate was setting this whole thing up and you were involved, you were right there involved. what i want to try to explain to you to make sure you're understanding is you can either tell me how far you were involved with this, which will make a difference of how many days you're going to get in lock, or you can sit here to say you had nothing to do with it and i'm going to give you the max sanction, because i know you were involved, it's just a matter of how much you were involved. if you were doing it to help him out or whatever the reason is you need to tell me.
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>> i didn't know exactly what the contents were. i didn't know. he asked me, i was like don't get me [ bleep ]ed up, don't get me jammed up. he's like can you use your name? i'm like yeah, just don't -- and then he asked me -- he was on the phone he asked me, he was like what's your e-number. what's your last name. i wasn't quite sure -- >> so you gave this strange guy that you just met in jail permission to use your name and your e-number on something that you didn't know what he was getting? like, you didn't know that he was bringing in drugs or you didn't know what drugs or tobacco or -- like you know what i'm saying? you had to have known his person. >> i knew it wasn't right. i didn't think it was drugs, actually. i didn't think -- i thought maybe contacting his victim and didn't want to use -- go under his name. i didn't think he'd be stupid you have no try to get drugs in here. >> so you know the max sanction for each charge here is 15 days. so being that you cooperated somewhat, we're going to give you ten days in lock.
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you're done. good to go. >> all right. >> i felt like just cooperating. i don't know. just seemed like the better thing to do at the time. my bunky, i'm done with him. we can't associate anymore. >> while battaglia's relationships in the jail might have landed anymore segregation, william bernard's have resulted in violence. he was recently assaulted in his housing unit. >> inmate gomez mow lapolanco assaulted inmate bernard. he was on the ground and out of it. once it was called out, we were probably inside less than a minute after the fight was called out. bernard was laying on -- sitting on the ground, he looked dazed. once the officer saw it, they both ran away. gomez polanco ran to a cell that wasn't his and rivera ran to his cell. >> it was a little chaotic but for the most part i tried to be
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non-confrontational as much as possible. it's not what i prefer but unfortunately i'm put in -- i'm put into a situation that there's really not too much i can do. >> from what i understand, inmate rivera and inmate gomez polanco believe inmate bernard was working with some sort of police agency. so since they thought he was snitching they decided to assault him. >> both the inmates who attacked bernard were placed in disciplinary segregation. one of them, rafael rivera, says bernard, whose nickname is whitey, had it coming. >> let me tell you something, white owe don't have no friends because he's a [ bleep ] snitch working for the police. because he working for the police every spot that he goes he's gonna get [ bleep ]ed up. and i'll bet you that [ bleep ]'s going to happen. people don't play no game.
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[ bleep ] with us, they're gonna get it. he lucky that he don't go into his room when i say go into your room. he goes into his room, he's finished. >> bernard denies being a snitch. he says frequent visits to the medical unit because of his anxiety and panic attacks have caused some inmates to suspect he's been reporting illicit activities to staff. >> i don't want to have that label following me all the way through because a lot of these gangs and stuff, they're interconnected so word travels. >> coming up -- >> there's been rumors going around about subbox son which is a type of heroine. >> and now they have a new source of intel. >> one hand always washes the other. . up the ante. and if you stumble, you get back up. up isn't easy, and we ought to know. we're in the business of up. everyday delta flies a quarter of million people
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australia's prime minister says there's increasing hope of finding what happened top a missing jetliner based on new satellite images. the siting of small debris and increased search capability. a barge carrying thousands of gallons of fuel collided with another ship off of houston leaking oil but officials say it is being contained. three people were killed and several injured in a massive landslide in rural washington state. now back to "lock up." life inside the bergen county jail has been tough
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enough for william bernard. he says fights and harassment by other inmates has caused his stutter to worsen and to descend into panic attacks. he believes frequent visits to medical for anxiety treatments have led some inmates to believe he's an informant. but now charged with threatening to kill his father and assaulting the police officers who came to arrest him, he's consumed by thoughts of spending up to 20 years in prison if found guilty. >> i'm just afraid that my father will get on the stand and testify against me. i think that would be a really strong point in a case, especially a jury. and that just that thought alone that i could get a ridiculous amount of time for something i didn't do really, really just that thought throws me almost completely over -- over -- over the edge. >> bernard's arrest stems from an argument with his father over
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his father's missing keys and wallet and now william bernard, sr., has come to visit his son. >> we were best friends. we would fish and camp together and we did all the repairs on the house together. so we got along other than the alcohol. that really destroyed things. gotten a alcohol problem and he needs to address it and obviously in here there's no alcohol. let's just hope he makes the best of it while he's in. he gets himself sober and gets a good base in his sobriety while he's in. >> hey, dad. >> son, how are you r you doing? >> not, not, not bad. i just really wanted to find out from your point of view, like, i read your statement and i was kind of and still am in shock and autowhat was written in that statement that you had made that
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night. >> well, i don't know how the keys that were taken out of my -- this jacket pocket actually were between your mattresses. >> yeah, well i don't know how to go from that extreme to have me for -- for -- for unlawful purpose of the gun which was putting it to your head and saying that i was going to kill you. then it came down to your statement was the sole reason why -- why i'm about to -- spend time in prison. >> well, you had an illegal weapon and you were on probation. as ridiculous as it may sound, the b.b. gun they consider a weapon in this state. >> they only consider it a weapon when it's used unlawfully. i checked the laws and it was used unlawfully apparently because i put it to your head. >> you put it to your own head, too. >> you don't even remember that night coming into my room sitting on the couch next to me watching a movie because you haven't been sober. how much did you drink before you came home? >> i don't know, maybe two or
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three beers, it was 10:00 when i came home. >> so between 6:30 and 10:30, 11:00, you only had two or three drinks? that's a little -- that's a little farfetched. >> maybe three or four. >> have you seen my actual photo. do i need to show you the photo? the two black eyes, the blood everywhere, my skull split open? >> you should haven't resisted arrest. >> i didn't resist arrest. >> well then why did they have to go to the house with their guns drawn? >> because you said i put you to gunpoint. >> well, you should have just walked down stairs. >> you shouldn't have told cops i was armed and threatening to kill you. they could have shot and killed me. did you ever think of that? >> yeah, they could have. >> yeah and you won't say nothing or do nothing to change it because you know the truth. >> there isn't anything i can do to change it there's nothing doing to change it. >> i love you, dad, i would never do that to you, you know that. >> well, i love you, too, son,
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but i wouldn't -- i didn't say any untruths. >> you wrote that report. they just walked you through it and told you -- told you -- told you exactly what to write. just told you to sign away on the x, right? >> yeah, basically, yeah. that's the way -- that's usually the way that statement thing goes. i told your lawyer i wouldn't testify to any of in the a courtroom so good luck with it. >> hearing his father won't testify might be a relief to bernard, but it doesn't mean his charges will be dropped. it might, however, help facilitate a plea deal for a lighter sentence. >> there's a lot of stress in here. and to be dealing with this -- with this case and -- and -- and dealing with the people in here stealing you from, guys starting fights with me for no reason. smacking me in the face yesterday, drove know an anxiety attack because i can't fight. you have no idea what i have to deal with. none whatsoever. >> i probably don't. i've never been in prison
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before. >> shaking, can't talk. >> i know why you're stuttering and shaking now anyway. you never did that on the outside. i'd be a little worried about it if i was in there, too. >> i'm just so angry there's nothing i can do. >> well, it's a tough situation. it's really -- there's no real winner there. >> it's only going to get worse. >> hopefully when you're done with your time you'll have a nice quiet place to recuperate. that's about all i can say other than to keep coming to see you and keep writing to you you've just got to learn to accept it and get over it, get past it. i'll see you next week, all right? all right, bud. i love you. >> it's tough, you know, just to talk to me father and -- and --
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and -- just how -- how -- how differently he sees everything. just like a -- just like -- i felt yesterday just like slapped, slapped in the face. >> he's a real good kid and when he doesn't drink or when he doesn't drink a lot so it takes time, that's all. it will take time. >> alcohol or drugs have played a role in the majority of convictions that have come out of bergen county. and recently staff has uncovered evidence that heroin and synthetic drug call suboxone have been smuggled into inmate us there the mail. >> we've developed information whereas they're able to wet the strips and put them into the blue that's listed on the envelope. it's hard to detect. >> if you guys are suspicious of an envelope or package or something coming in that would be suspect bring it to the
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attention of your supervisor. >> we release information to the staff prior to change of shift. so anything that's important or imperative that they need to know prior to taking over their post we'll try and share that with them. just be conscious of it. know it's out there and something that could impact how your post operates. >> i knew people that brought it in. i knew people that sold it. i knew everybody. >> nick battaglia was recently sent to segregation after officers intercepted a heroin-laced birthday card that was addressed to him. battaglia then told staff how suboxone gets into the jail, even pointing to the nickname of an inmate dealer scrolled on the cell wall. but battaglia now says he's taken part in suboxone dealing as well. >> the suboxone brought in so i could support myself, you know? i made a little bit of money but i also took it regularly.
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>> so were you in cahoots at allel with the person on the back wall? >> no. no. not at all. we don't have a good history. at all. so it's -- you know -- >> why? >> um, we just don't. >> well, i'm going to assume something. if he's bringing it in and selling it and you're bringing it in and selling it, is that a con sflikt. >> yeah, yeah. >> competition, perhaps? >> yeah. >> coming up -- >> i was going through it, opening, checking just for anything and then i ripped off the seal and we found four suboxone tabs right on the seal. >> and now another inmate is on the hot seat. >> do you look guilty in our eyes? what do you think? >> i mean, i hope not. i'm just -- >> you want to sit in my chair and i'll sit there? go ahead, man, let deese that. sit there. you can ask me the questions.
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>> and nick battaglia's back in general population with a plan. >> i look for easy prey, you know? little white boys. it's an easy target. it's easy money. >> and a friend. >> i made a cake for nick for his birthday. what does an apron have to do with car insurance? an apron is hard work. an apron is pride in what you do. an apron is not quitting until you've made something a little better. what does an apron have to do with car insurance? for us, everything. before chantix, i tried to quit probably about five times. it was different than the other times i tried to quit. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix varenicline is proven to help people quit smoking. it's a non-nicotine pill. chantix reduced my urge to smoke. that helped me quit smoking. [ male announcer ] some people
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truck of the year and first ever back-to-back champion. guts. glory. ram. behind the walls of the bergen county jail, inmate mail has always undergone scrutiny. but after staff recently discovered heroin concealed inside a card and learned that another drug, suboxone, is also being smuggled in, they have been put on alert. >> you guys are suspicious of an envelope or package or something coming in that would be suspect bring it to the attention of
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yo your supervisor. >> and 24 hours later one of the officers scored. >> yesterday in our lineup they describe how old there was suboxone coming in the mail. they were either licking it and putting in in between pieces of paper or putting it under the stamps so when the mail came in we were pretty diligent and i was going through it, opening, you know, checking just for anything and then i ripped off the seal and we found four suboxone tabs right on the seal. >> the letter was addressed to inmate jerry nunez who has now been called down to speak with investigators. nunez denies any knowledge of the letter or the person who sent it to him. >> i had nothing to do with this. i hope it's no one trying to set me up or -- >> that seems to be the case. >> we have the mail in evidence. there was suboxone attached to it. a birthday card addressed to you. put yourself in our shoes. it's two and two.
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>> you understand why we're asking all these questions. >> i know you guys are doing your job? >> do you look got in our eyes? what do you think? >> i mean, i hope not. i'm just -- >> you want to sit in my chair and i'll sit there. go ahead, man. sit there. you can ask me the question. >> we're decent guys man. >> i mostly wish i could help you guys, you know? >> i don't need your help. you wouldn't be helping me. you'd be helping yourself. you know what suboxone is. >> it can help you from withdrawal. they gave it to me in here. >> so you know what it is. >> yeah, it's to help you from withdrawal. i don't see how that would benefit anybody. >> in the jail setting how do they get high on it? you're not in trouble man. i know you know. >> i don't see how it would get you high. didn't get me high, just helped me from [ bleep ] my pants and throwing up. >> what were you doing on the street that caused you to be on suboxone in here? >> pills. >> what kind? >> shooting, sniffing.
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i was doing 13 a day. >> you're a good guy i can see it. all right, man. spread the word up there for me. >> spread like what? >> we good? >> i'm good. >> investigators later cleared nunez from having anything to do with the suboxone mailed to him. they concluded he was most likely victimized to another inmate who would eventually steal the letter from him. >> you ready? all right, you're going to south 4, pack your stuff. >> but nick battaglia says he knows full well about the illicit suboxone trade inside the jail. >> ied that suboxone brought in so i could support myself. i made a little bit of money but i also took it regularly. >> battaglia was recently moved from disciplinary segregation to the maximum security general population unit. he says he's done trying to brung drugs into jail.
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>> sob buuboxone was fun while lasted. all good things come to an end. >> battaglia says now he'll fall back on another technique he's used in the past to make life more comfortable. >> i just look for easy prey, you know? little white boys. it's an easy target. it's easy. easy money. >> i need to find a mat. >> mat? >> you got one? >> i'll tell them look, you're going to get robbed. black boys are going to run on you. it's going to happen. you can either come deal with me or you can just get everything taken. i wouldn't call it extortion, i'd call it maybe protection, just looking out. gave me a bag of coffee, get me two packs of peanut butter cookies, do this, do that, you know? clean my room? >> i made a kick for nick for his birthday and i just gave him one of his favorite pictures, too, today. >> william bernard, also known as whitey, says battaglia is one
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of his few friends on the unit. >> yeah, me and whitey, we're friendly. he's good people. he's white so i like him. i mean, i'm not racist but just have my set ways. >> bernard says he's growing more confident these days. along with his new mohawk, he's learned new ways to get by -- like trading commissary items. >> everything's for sale. everything. everything has a price. even these little pacts of sugar. i get ten of these and it's worth a dollar. three oatmeals are worth two soups. >> i would give you a hair cut for free. i'll give you a hair cut for free. >> i just got my hair cut, man. my hair looks good. >> i woke up one morning and i didn't -- i didn't want to get out of bed. i was just depressed and just wanted, like, some type of change, you know? because like you're in here and you don't have any control over
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anything and i -- basically the only control i have is my hair style and so i wanted the hair cut. >> coming up -- >> i'm feeding you and you're providing a service for me. you help me out, you clean my room, heat up my water in the morning, wash my dishes after i eat. >> nick battaglia and his new cellmate set up shop in general population. and william bernard acquires new ink and a busted lip. up your game. up the ante. and if you stumble, you get back up. up isn't easy, and we ought to know. we're in the business of up. everyday delta flies a quarter of million people while investing billions improving everything from booking to baggage claim. we're raising the bar on flying and tomorrow we will up it yet again.
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>> nick battaglia is still awaiting trial on his charge of aggravated assault. he's trying to make the most of his time in the bergen county jail. he's now the houseman, or lead inmate worker of his housing unit. >> everything's going pretty
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good. got back on this floor, i'm happy. everything's -- everything's on track. >> the only compensation for a houseman is more time out of his cell and extra food trays. >> trays up! >> battaglia's new cellmate works as a food server. they've created a business of sorts trading their extra meals for commissary goods. then they trade those items for favors or even more commissary. >> i'll normally on the tray i just take the main course. and the snack. and i'll give away the other, you know? like, they're hungry, they don't have -- they get one tray, i get three. you know? i'm feeding you and you're providing a service for me. you help me out, you clean my room, heat up my water in the morning, wash my dishes after i eat, i don't -- i won't do nothing for free. >> we got our hand in everything, food, laundry, toilet paper, anything that
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comes in here we have our hand in. >> anything extra. >> i feel -- i feel some type of way about toilet paper. i don't know why but when i go through one roll i need two back. i feel like i can never have enough. >> we got more toilet paper than the co's got. >> can i get two bags of coffee? >> four a bag. >> we make money off of our advantages, too. like a little store, you know. we do what we can, you know? try to make a little money on the side. >> two for ones, sell a soup, you get two back, anything you get two back. i'm a businessman. i like money. i like being included in anything that gets my money up. >> and the cellmates say they always get paid back. >> i'm more the aggressor. i'm definitely more the aggressor. i don't mind it, though. i guess i got too good of a heart. but nick gets it done. some people i think i'm like
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a -- you know, he's a good guy, man, just let him go with that. but nick likes to charge everybody for everything. no matter what it is. something simple, give me a snack. sometimes i'll -- you know, i don't mind doing favors but nick's good about it, though. we're going go broke if we don't charge for everything. >> i've got to look out for me. >> got to make money. >> in the end it's jail so it's all about me. >> battaglia got his new position when the inmate who held it prior to him got into trouble. >> i replaced bernard. he got caught tattooing. they moved them to s-2 now. >> william bernard had already given himself a new hair style. he got into trouble when staff also noticed a freshly made inmate tattoo on his wrist. since tattooing violates jail rules, bernard is confined to a disciplinary cell he now shares
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with louis peasy. >> i wanted it to represent a bronze star or like a general star to symbolize the military because i know a lot of the guys that had passed away had gotten bronze stars, medals of valor, quite a few of them got purple hearts before they even got killed so i wanted to go along those lines and i'll probably get a tattoo of a purple heart later on down the road. >> bernard said he chose the star to honor men he served with in the army who had lost their lives. he also has a new war wound of his own -- or in this case a busted flip a fight with another inmate. but he says this time he stood up for himself and it even seems to have improved his stutter. >> he tried to man handle me, grabbed me by my throat, that didn't work and he punched me and i told him to stop. i wasn't crying or anything like that, i just told him stop, that's enough. i've been here, what, seven months? enough is enough.
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>> two months later, william bernard would no longer have to worry about defending himself in jail. his judge found him not guilty by reason of insanity. but the legal definition is different than it sounds. the judge says he was competent to stand trial but not in a proper state of mind on the night he had the conflict with his father that led to his arrest. he was remanded to the state department of health who will monitor him and he must report to the court every six months for the same period of time he would have gotten in prison had he been convict ed. in bernard's case that's 20 years.
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>> on the ground! >> that's the way you can handle situations in here. you got to fight. >> she got a broken eye socket. i put her in infirmity for eight days. >> i chase after a court officer and they said i hit one of them and kicked one and spit on him. >> for those inmates all too willing to throw a punch, the jail has s a special place. >> the boss. >> the box! >>

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