tv Lockup New Jersey--- Extended Stay MSNBC April 16, 2017 7:00pm-8:01pm PDT
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boys. >> my mom's afraid she's going to bury me. >> a young couple finds their addicted to more than just drugs. >> yeah, i'm addicted to her mother than any drug i've put in my body. >> and they develop a method of communication more in truicate than we've ever seen before. and once again we provide inmates with their own cameras to record intimate thoughts about their lives. >> if i were to kill someone, i would be right next to him hiding the body. the 40,000 or so residents of quiet hackensack, new jersey, can visit the glitz and glamour
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of new york city in less than an hour, but on the outskirts of downtown hackensack is a place where compelling drama plays out every day. there are about 900 men and women incarcerated inside the bergen county jail. most are only accused of crimes and are awaiting trial or the resolution of their cases. many of them also share something else in common. >> we're seeing a large influx of inmates coming into our facility for heroin, prescription drugs, oxycodeine and things the of that nature. but heroin is making a huge comeback. not just in suburbs or urban areas but into all different areas. >> alyssa schlossberg look no further than her own skin of heroin's comeback. >> i shot my feet, too, like in here, and little spots in here, here. my family, being around them, they know what these are.
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you know, people that don't know that i do drugs now can tell. so it's embarrassing. but nothing a little foundation can't fix. i have so many moments where i don't remember. i hear what happened, you know. when i was at the hospital, the nurse had told me that they found me naked on route 46. and i had no recollection. before coming here, i passed out in front of a judge and didn't remember anything in court and woke up in handcuffs with three cos around me and a sergeant. >> this is schlossberg's first time in jail. she's charged with distribution of cocaine and has pled not guilty. but she does admit to living a drug-filled lifestyle with her boyfriend. >> we always had drugs. people were always calling him. we got caught up in that lifestyle.
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it wasn't because of drugs, it was because of money. and we were eating like in his words, like a boss. we had the money to do whatever we wanted. i love him. he's my everything, my baby, my father in some way, my best friend, my boyfriend, my soul mate. he's my other. >> and now schlossberg's other is also an inmate at the bergen county jail. thomas costa who has prior convictions for drug manufacturing, distribution and aggravated assault, is recently on probation when he came to visit schlossberg and got arrested again. >> i was using heroin, pills. on my way in, i actually had drugs on me. i wasn't really thinking, leave them at home, leave them somewhere, because what's going to happen, walk in, walk out like i do every week. >> visitors must pass through a metal detector to make sure they're not carrying weapons into the building. they do not have direct contact with the inmates. so they're not frisked for drugs and other contraband.
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so they're not frisked. when he signed in, an arrest warrant popped up for a probation violation. when it did, officers went to arrest him. >> i was actually in the bathroom getting high at the time. and when i heard the door open, i heard the keys jingling and then i heard two or three pairs, so i knew it was cops coming in. >> most part not very usual to find someone taking drugs in the jail bathroom. not normally the place that you would go do it. we were kind of shocked that he was doing it. >> i had planned on doing it the whole time i walked in there. i didn't plan on getting arrested. >> i asked him to step out and put his hands behind his back, and he did. then i asked him if he had any more on him and he said no. then i found the 13 decks. i thought you didn't have any on you. he said that's not on me, that's in my wallet. >> now i'm in here with her, unfortunately. so funny how things work out. >> costa was charged with possession of a controlled
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dangerous substance. he pled not guilty in hopes of making a deal for a lighter sentence. in the meantime, even though he and his girlfriend are housed in separate wings and can't see each other, costa says it's good to be under the same roof with her. >> and i miss the [ bleep ] out of her, and i feel closer to her now being in here. i know we're going through it together. i feel weak without him. i don't feel dead. i feel weak right now. it is not because of lack of nutrition or anything, but it is lack of thomas. >> costas and schlossberg hope to qualify for the new jersey court drug program. it was set up to help offenders with drug charges avoid jail or prison time. but the program is rigorous and requires a commitment to drug rehabilitation and frequent testing. >> and the anger issues. >> and the jail offers its own road to sobriety for the inmates who volunteer to abide by a strict set of rules. >> this is our drc program.
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drug rehabilitation center. an in-house drug treatment center, a 90-day program for people in the bergen county jail. >> officer lopez is one of the supervisors of the drc. >> let's group up, make sure the chair said are up. let's not get lax. >> the gentlemen here wake up at 6:00 in the morning. >> should there be no radios, right, in group? >> and a lot of people who are not used to the structure think that it's military. we don't run it like that, but i say things one time, and i expect it to be done. for them that's military, for anybody else, that's normal behavior. and we have a lot of people come in here thinking this program is one way and after 90 days they're totally different people. >> william says he can testify to that. >> it's a good feeling to have my spirit come back to life because i was dead coming in here. >> serving four months for theft and robbery, he's about to complete the 90-day program. in a few days he'll be released from jail and continue his
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recovery in a residential drug treatment program. today drug abuse counselor sam watson will honor his achievement with a special token. >> this coin is really a token of your ability to cope. it has no intrinsic value itself, but coping and completing this program in 90 days is a very difficult task. so the ability to get through it without getting written up and kicked out is important. i wish you all the best on your journey, and i hope that you put the same effort into discovery house that you did here. okay? >> thank you. thanks, sam. >> you feel good to see somebody come in on day one and see the change in them. if we get too good at this, i'll be put out of a job, but that's okay. i'll find something else to do. >> prior to his release, he must complete one more task -- provide an orientation to the inmate who will take his spot in the drc, aaron sofield. >> grab two sets of blues and we'll change you up. leave the other two in there.
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you have your key, right? >> yes, sir. >> i'm addicted to heroin. use it every day, morning, noon and night, $2,000 a day, that's 50 bags a day. it affected myself and my family. so i heard this is the best program in the state to get clean. i'm lucky i got arrested to get into here. >> my life was good. i have a great family. i had a great job. i stole from my family. they don't trust me. they gave me so many chances, and this is the last chance, because if i don't succeed here, i don't have no family backing me up. and i come from a big family. i'll be out on my own. and i don't want that. >> sofield has pled guilty to theft and forgery and is awaiting sentencing. he's had several convictions for drug possession as well. you guys, this is aaron. >> i'm not going to lie.
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i still think about getting high. it's always in the back of my head. i can't get high ever again. you know, like, i mean i'm 29, i'm still a little bit young but i've been around a lot compared to some other kids in here who are still young. you know, they all think about it, too. everybody thinks about it. i can't get high any more? just one more time? but there's never one more time. when it comes to heroin. you know how many times i said that? and it always leads to the next day, the next day. never one more time when it comes to that. >> coming up -- >> i'm 6'3", my feet hit this when i try to sleep. you wake up every time you try the turn. it's freezing. aaron sofield struggles to fit in in the drug rehabilitation center. and -- >> the hebrew bible goes opposite american -- >> alyssa schlossberg returns to her religious roots, but finds it doesn't keep her out of trouble. >> she did lie to you. >> in a nutshell. the customer app will be live monday.
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inside hackensack, new jersey's bergen county jail, officials allowed us to give certain inmates digital video cameras for about an hour or so. the purpose was to allow them to record any intimate thoughts of their lives in privacy. two of those inmates are thomas costa and his girlfriend alissa. schlossberg. they're both facing drug charges and hope to be assigned to a rehab program in lieu of more jail or prison time. >> our crappy ass mirror, but it's cool. you can actually see me better through the camera through the mirror, which is weird. but i don't know, maybe it's a reason why people can't see their real self through this mirror. that it's not really who a lot
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of people are. because it's not how i look when i am who i am. and this is just a piece of me, it's not the whole thing. this -- actually, this book is on rosh hashanah. >> schlossberg said she's using this part of time in jail to reconnect with her religious roots. >> and it is the hebrew bible. >> and this is the translation on this side? >> this is hebrew. >> and this is english? >> this is english. >> wow. >> i was raised catholic and jewish and i made communion and i was confirmed. it is more that the boys did the jewish thing and i followed my mom with the catholic thing, and we celebrated both christmas and hanukkah. but they're big ceremonies. like all the family getting together and they have seders. they have different foods that represent different things.
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i don't know them off of the top of my head, but like the -- what was it? a radish. relish. >> schlossberg might have another motivation for reawakening her jewish roots. prior to being arrested when he came to visit her, schlossberg's boyfriend thomas costa gave her an inside tip on jail food. >> she doesn't like jail food. if you want to get the legitimate food, play your jewish card in there. you will get real meals, real food as opposed to the stuff we get in here. >> the jail prepares special kosher meals and they're preferable to the nonkosher meals. >> this one is chicken and black beans. the proportions are smaller but it's better than what they give us on the tray. >> vegetarian, halal, vegan, kosher, if they come in here and say that's what they need, that's what they get. >> some people come in here and say kosher food is better.
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>> jews don't even get anything. >> we don't even get a synagogue in here. >> we've got the roving religion, the guy on the cart. he comes around with his jewish card, his catholic card. i'm kidding. >> you guys thing it's funny but i take my religion seriously. >> but that's the god's honest truth, or allah, whatever. they come around with it on the card. the rabbi, the priest. >> but we don't get like a service. rosh hashanah starts tonight. like if it was christmas, would we go to church? >> the rabbi has his own hours, too. >> so we need a better rabbi. >> then you should write to lieutenant and ask do you want a rabbi on call? >> i don't plan on being here. >> then why are we having this conversation? >> members of the clergy, including the rabbi, not only visit the jail, they often hold religious studies with small groups of inmates.
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while schlossberg says her renewed interest in judaism is real, she admits she's not above deceit. >> i know how to lie and make the whole world believe it. i know how to manipulate someone. my parents always told me i should either be an actor or a lawyer. >> you always have a choice. you can never say that circumstances, i can't choose. >> today, schlossberg and huber meet with the jail's rabbi for religious studies. >> sometimes it's hard to choose, am i right? sometimes it's a dilemma. during the lesson, the rabbi notices that schlossberg's energy has begun to wane. >> we just had lunch hour. no lunch. >> upon hearing she didn't receive her kosher lunch that day, the rabbi requests a meal for her. but lunch is quickly interrupted when officer ponder determined schlossberg lied to the rabbi about missing her meal.
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>> did you eat at chow time? >> yeah, i have it now. my salad. >> but did you eat at chow time? >> yeah, we ate. >> so why did you tell the rabbi that you didn't have a tray. >> no, we didn't have lunch then. >> i went into the kitchen and told them that you didn't receive a tray. >> oh, i didn't know. >> that you knew exactly what you were doing, schlossberg. >> i wasn't the one that said it. >> when you walked past what did you say to us? the rabbi is on the way to the kitchen to get me extra food. is that what you said? yes or no. so you knew what you were doing then? >> no, not about that. it was about a snack. >> sir, she actually had two trays. she's good. >> yes, she did lie to you. >> she did lie to you. >> in a nutshell. >> okay. but you did get two trays. >> yes. >> that's it. thank you. >> i wasn't the one who told him that.
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>> all right. case closed. >> alyssa schlossberg's very sneaky, conniving, she does whatever she can to get over or to get her way. >> schlossberg not only told the rabbi she didn't eat that day, she also told him something else. >> they doend don't feed us enough because she's pregnant. >> no, your exact words were i'm with child. >> time to get the rabbi to talk to her boyfriend. so she goes but don't tell thomas that i'm pregnant. because he doesn't know that. >> that's a good thing you told me. >> it's a good thing you told me. >> yes, i lied about my pregnancy. i lied about the food. i get whatever i want. >> coming up -- >> i might tell you something, okay? this got to stop. >> alyssa schlossberg encounters an angry lieutenant. >> you know what i'm talking about. >> i don't have amateur addicts. i have the real mccoys here.
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>> the first rehab center set up inside a new jersey correctional facility. >> the next time i stick a needle into my arm, i'm going to is die. hi! hey! i've made plans for later in case this date doesn't go well. same here. wouldn't it be great if everyone said what they meant? the citi double cash card does. earn 1% cash back when you buy, and 1% as you pay. double means double. even if you're trying your best.be a daily struggle, along with diet and exercise, once-daily toujeo® may help you control your blood sugar. get into a daily groove.
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i'm 29 years old, and i would have never thought that my life would have come to this. you know, i lived a pretty good life growing up. family loved me and people cared about me. had a lot of friends. i had a girlfriend for the past four years. we broke up about eight months ago because of my using. i was engaged to her. and just, i chose the drugs. i chose the drugs over her. >> aaron sofield continues to do time in the bergen county jail's drug rehabilitation center while awaiting sentencing on charges for theft and forgery. >> chow up, last call.
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>> it's a tightly run program with a strict daily regimen that inmates must adhere to for 90 days or they're dropped. >> we have approximately 58 rules in our facility. it's kind of funny. but if they don't have their keys on them or their locks on their lockers or if they leave the books out or chairs down, we want them focused, we want them thinking. we don't want them too comfortable. we want them always working on themselves. >> sofield, however, faces an additional challenge. >> i'm 6'3" and my feet hit this thing when i try to sleep. you wake up every time you try to turn. it's freezing. i fall asleep and have drug dreams. that's just natural. if you're not having drug dreams, then you're not using drugs. >> sofield has battled addiction to heroin over the past several years and believes if he doesn't get clean this time, he'll lose the support of his family and everything else he values. >> mr. lopez, the co in charge of the program, i give him a lot
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of respect. he's put up with a lot of [ bleep ] nonsense in this place. people coming to him complaining about this, complaining about that. but i'm thankful, really thankful for him. he put that structure back in my life. >> being in jail has got me clean now for 2 1/2 months, and i don't think i've ever been that clean in over four years. my body is kicking back to, you know, a normal cycle, which is a good thing because for a while i thought i wasn't going to be able to have children. >> alyssa schlossberg has also had a heroin addiction. she's currently charged with distribution of cocaine and hopes to take part in the state's court drug program. schlossberg would need to plead guilty, but then instead of jail or prison time, she'd be sent to an inpatient facility and follow protocol for drug testing for as many years as the court deem necessary.
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>> i went into the kitchen and told them that you didn't receive -- >> a tray today. >> i didn't know that. >> you knew what you were doing. >> i didn't say it. >> she did lie to you. >> she admits to lying to the rabbi to get an extra lunch tray. while not the most serious violation jail officials deal with, the lieutenant has decided it warrants a visit. >> i'm going to tell you something, this [ bleep ] got to stop. okay? i deal with drug court all the time. >> i know. >> now, listen to me. okay? if you're pulling [ bleep ] here, listen, i don't want a response. if you're pulling [ bleep ] here, all i got to do is pick up the phone and let them know. okay? it doesn't go over well with them. you know what i'm talking about, right? >> yeah. so does everyone else because i'm not the only one -- >> it doesn't matter. >> i understand that. but i am always -- >> well, why do you think that is? >> you think it's me?
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>> why do you think that is? >> i don't know why. i'm not the only person. >> you're not the only person, you're right. but -- >> i'm not going to get into it. >> i told you, i don't want a response. the fact is that she ate lunch and then went and lied to the rabbi in order to get an additional meal. it has nothing to do with her religion or faith. it has to do with the fact that she's manipulating the system in order to achieve food, extra items in any way she can. if she uses her faith to do it, that's on her. that's her responsibility. >> the third time. you want to see my father? i almost said that to him. i cannot be friends with you any more. it's over. the only person he comes in here for is me. it's treating me like this is my jail father. like you're not my father. like go yell at someone else. >> coming up -- >> we quite often get couples like alyssa schlossberg and mr. costa in jail. they become co-dependent on each other.
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so their need to communicate just overwhelming. >> alyssa schlossberg and thomas costa devise a method to communicate unlike any we've ever seen. >> i know what size he wears for boxers, so i knew it was him. u ? break through your allergies. try new flonase sensimist instead of allergy pills. it's more complete allergy relief in a gentle mist you may not even notice. using unique mistpro technology, new flonase sensimist delivers a gentle mist to help block six key inflammatory substances that cause your symptoms. most allergy pills only block one. and six is greater than one. break through your allergies. new flonase sensimist before fibromyalgia,
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i'm dara brown with the hour's top stories. mike pence has made an unscheduled stop between the military zone of north and south korea. and a man-hunt in cleveland after an alleged murder is committed live on facebook. the suspect spect is considered armed and dangerous. so far no additional victims have been found. no back to lock up. >> due to mature subject matter viewer discretion is advised.
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hackensack, new jersey's bergen county jail. it is not only a detention center for men and women facing a variety of charges, it's also a drug rehabilitation center. >> we were the first in new jersey to open up a rehabilitation center in a correctional facility. a couple of years ago we opened up a female drug rehabilitation center which has eight beds, and that is also successful. >> since the jail has many more men than women, the rehab side houses about 30 inmates. >> i don't have amateur addicts. i have the real mccoys here. i have guys that live on the street, homeless. i don't have your weekend warrior. i have the everyday user. those are the people we really need to help now to stop the revolving door coming in and out of jails and hopefully save money down the road for taxpayers. >> aaron sofield is an admitted heroin addict.
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awaiting sentencing for theft and forgery. he's a week into the 90-day program. >> it's little boring. same stuff. i've been through two rehabs before. so i know what it's about. >> what do you miss about the streets? >> the thrill, running around, just the rush that we get. i'm really not missing my friends. you know? girls. you know, everybody misses girls. but my friends and that, i really don't care. i make friends no matter what. >> sofield's newest friend in the drug rehab center is michael parapar who is only weeks away from completing the program. >> you also have a lot in common like we both shot heroin, we both smoked pcp. >> he's a young cool kid. he speaks what's on his mind. that's one thing about him. he doesn't care who you are, he says what's on his mind. >> i've been using since i was 14 and alcohol since i was basically 6.
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when i shot acid, this the guy made me want to shoot acid, and he was crazy. at first, i did it and i could feel the acid crawling through my veins, and it was like an instant peak. it was wild. >> i took acid but not like that form of acid. i popped a couple sheets but not -- >> i always push the limits. like the only way to be truly alive is to confront your mortality. that's what i did on a daily basis. >> i know. i never heard of anyone shooting up acid or xanax until i met you. >> i put xanax and cocaine and heroin, amphetamines and oxycontin in the same needle and shot it. >> all in the same rig. that's crazy. >> i don't know how to describe that kind of high. have you ever shot vodka? >> no. >> he was on probation for a burglary conviction when he tested positive for drugs in the
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second jail. he was admitted to the drug rehab center but has been through numerous other programs since age 14. >> this is my first time in jail, and it sucks. it really sucks. i don't want to come back to jail again. the way i was doing drugs, if i go back out, the next time i stick a needle in my arm, i'm going to die. my mother's afraid she's going to bury me. i know that for a fact. and my dad just -- my dad's almost given up on me. that's why i'm really -- i'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. >> he has a lot of problems. i tell him that. he knows that. he's been through a lot. 21 years old. i haven't been through any of that. i wish him the best. i wish everybody the best in here. but we'll see. you never know. >> thomas costa is also an admitted heroin addict, but he does his time in general population unit. >> once we shot up, it was just
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progression. we were up to maybe like 60, 70 bags each a day, that's $400 a day just on drugs. >> he was turned down for the drug rehab center because of past convictions involving violent crimes, but he has another addiction even greater than heroin. his girlfriend alyssa schlossberg. >> i'm addicted to her more than any drug i ever put in my body. i feel like i could do a lot less for her obviously because i'm in here. at least i'm in the same building as her. >> other than occasionally seeing each other in or on the way to court, the couple can only communicate through letters. schlossberg has just opened her latest from costa. >> you're the only one for me. i will never stop loving you and being there for you and you alone made me a better man. and you continue to make me better every day you're in my life. i love you. words are short, baby girl, but once again never the love. once again me and you. he's so incredible.
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and i miss him. it's been real emotional in here because i can't look at him or hear his voice. maybe i am addicted to him. but i don't see it like a bad thing. >> we quite often get couples like alyssa schlossberg and mr. costa in jail. you come co-dependent on each other, so their need to communicate just overwhelming for each of them, so they kind of try and want to bend the rules, break the rules sometimes in an effort to make sure they can still stay in touch with each other. >> recently costa did just that. >> i saw her in the hallway. i was going downstairs. i saw a group of girls. i was hoping she'd be one of them and she was. i blew her a kiss, got in trouble for that. don't do it again. like from the officers and stuff. because they just probably thought she was a random female and i was harassing one of them. little do they know. but it was worth the risk. >> now costa and schlossberg have developed a new method of communicating. although it's against the rules, they've yet to be caught.
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each housing unit has a kiosk where inmates can order snack or toiletries from the commissary. >> one day i was on the computer where we order food. i went on her account. figured out her password was our anniversary. i put a couple items in there that i knew she'd key in on. >> cocoa butter, extra large boxers. i knew it was him. i sent him something back like coffee, hazelnut and sugar, because he knows that i like that. >> since commissary orders are only fulfilled on mondays, the couple would simply erase all the items they posted on sunday in order to avoid being charged for the items or arousing suspicion. >> first, we were going back and forth with funny food names and stuff. ways just to know that we're thinking about one another. >> then i was like, all right, let's see how smart he is, because he wasn't too smart when he came here. >> one day i went on there two days ago, three days ago and
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there's a bunch of numbers. ten lollipops and 15 envelopes. what does all this mean? i've never seen so many numbers. i go down the list and start writing them down. i write the alphabet down. every number symbolizes a letter on the alphabet. that's the 11th letter of the alphabet, this is the 16th. this first letter is k, then this right here spells out a word. please. that's k, p-o-e-a-s-e-g-e-t, then i got the next page. m-e, me. m-o-n-e-y, money. a-s-a-p, asap. please get me money asap. >> it's the jail version of texting. >> yeah, but no one's ever done it before. it's just weird. we connect on a different level. >> i'm not going to lie. a tear came to my eye. i kind of got choked up a little bit.
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because she figured out the same way i figured it to me. we're on the same wavelength. i don't know who would have picked up on that kind of thing, but we did. >> coming up -- >> you'll see that most heroin users are really close to their moms. >> an insight into a unique aspect of bergen county's heroin problem. >> that's why i call it a mama's boy drug. >> one inmate in the rehab center thrives while another is forced to drop out. >> he's a guy i can't have back here. to me, what he did was that serious. unfortunately he blew his shot. home, car, life insurance obviously, ohhh... but with added touches you can't get everywhere else, like claim free rewards... or safe driving bonus checks. oh yes.... even a claim satisfaction guaranteeeeeeeeeee! in means protection plus unique extras only from an expert allstate agent.
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top drawer. >> bergen county jail's drug rehabilitation center opened in 1995. it was the first of its kind inside a corrections facility in the state of new jersey. >> inspection for lockers. >> though nearing retirement officer lopez has been a fixture in the center for the past eight years supervising the hundreds of men who pass through it. >> i don't want no mice in here. i don't like mice. i have to live in here too. i could have been a damn good drug dealer. i could have been a damn good drug user. but for some reason, i chose the right road. >> recently, the center has seen heroin make a comeback as the drug of choice among many inmates. and in bergen county, one of the nation's most prosperous communities, heroin use among young people has taken an unusual twist. >> you'll see that most heroin users are really close to their moms. so that's why i call it mama's boy drug. they'll actually give the money
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to the son and you'll hear the comment, i'd much rather give him the money to buy heroin so he don't have to go on the streets and steal and rob for it. sometimes i've heard cases in here where the mother actually drives them to the spot where they pick up their heroin. that's why it's a mama's boy drug for me. >> at 22 years old michael still have boyish looks but said he mother didn't pay for heroin and said she didn't realize he was regularly shooting the drug into his arms. >> hit the same spot about a hundred times. even my mom was -- my mom never knew i was doing heroin because i never left track marks. >> he said he started using heroin at age 15. he was well on his way to completing the center's rehab program but recently he signed himself out in order to avoid being kicked out and is back in general population. >> this is my cell. i'm really mad at myself because i only had three weeks left.
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so that's kind of a bummer. but i got to accept my consequences. >> michael parapar walked up to an inmate in the drc program and took all his commissary and decided to tell the guy he needed to beg for them to get them back. >> i thought we were a lot more cooler than we were and i thought it was all fun and games and somebody else thought it wasn't. >> the next morning i came in i was aware of the incident. i him into my office, and i questioned him about the incident. at that point he admitted everything he did. i thought he was doing great. i mean, he was on his 68th day. the day before this incident i was telling my sergeant that i can't believe the growth that he's made. he was doing everything perfect. >> i wish i could go back to the program, but -- >> he's a guy i can't have back here. to me, what he did was that serious, unfortunately, he blew his shot. >> parapar's friend aaron
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sofield is approaching his end in the program. after some trouble fitting his frame on the bunk and feeling bored with another program. >> a little boring, repetitive, same stuff. >> he says seeing inmates like parapar drop out has renewed his commitment to it. >> i want to get that coin a the end. it might not mean a lot to a lot of people, but it's just a coin, but it shows that you worked the program, you deserved it. which means a lot to me. and it means a lot to the people that care. really i'm ready to take the right steps but it will be harder. i think i can do it. >> this is by far my favorite picture. >> alyssa schlossberg also admits to drug addiction and quite possibly an addiction to her boyfriend thomas costa,
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who's housed in another part of the jail. >> when we first got together, he'd say he loved me platonically. but it was inevitably. and now it's unconditionally. if thomas were to kill someone, i would be right next to him hiding the body. if thomas spent the rest of his life in jail, i would be at every visit and i would be on the end of every phone call. we don't do without when we have each other. >> it's w-h-a-t-s and then it's u-p. he said what's up to me. >> schlossberg and costa figured out a way to send coded messages to each other through the computer inmates use to order commissary goods. >> these are my letters, n-m, nothing much, u-0-k.
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we have our own way of communicating. this is the first time in eight years that we've ever been separated. the longest was seven days maybe. so i'm waiting for friday. >> she told me that she court on for the first time in a while like actually that close and her and me both in shackles, not being able to hug her and that, it's going to be pretty depressing. but at least i will get to see her. >> and the couple hopes that the courts will allow them each to go to drug rehabilitation programs rather than the possibility of more jail or prison time. schlossberg is charged with distribution of cocaine, and costa is already convicted of the same, plus three counts of aggravated assault. he's back this for parole violations that include using drugs in the jail's restroom in an earlier visit to schlossberg. >> i will stay clean and he will stay clean and we will have a family within five years. i'm going to complete what i'm starting. i know i'm going to. we lived his lifestyle.
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now we're going to live mine. >> but costa is not sure that change is on the horizon. >> it is not going to be any different than the recent past has been. unfortunately. that's just -- i'm just being honest. i see me getting out of here, getting high, unfortunately. and if she's around me, whether she wants to or not, she'll probably go back to it too. >> i know he's going to complete this program for me, because he knows that i don't want to be away from him ever again after this. it doesn't matter if he wants to get high, he's not going to. >> coming up -- >> the prosecutor and the judge told me i could leave, and the time served, you know. basically, it's get out. >> aaron sofield asked to stay in jail, while thomas costa and alyssa schlossberg make important decisions about their futures as well. coming back on my long-term control medicine. i talked to my doctor and found a missing piece
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in my asthma treatment with breo. once-daily breo prevents asthma symptoms. breo is for adults with asthma not well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. breo won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. breo is specifically designed to open up airways to improve breathing for a full 24 hours. breo contains a type of medicine that increases the risk of death from asthma problems and may increase the risk of hospitalization in children and adolescents. breo is not for people whose asthma is well controlled on a long-term asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. once your asthma is well controlled, your doctor will decide if you can stop breo and prescribe a different asthma control medicine, like an inhaled corticosteroid. do not take breo more than prescribed. see your doctor if your asthma does not improve or gets worse. ask your doctor if 24-hour breo could be a missing piece for you. learn more about better breathing at mybreo.com.
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let me give you another view of what's going on outside my window. because this is normally my view anyway. and i don't know if i normally look outside of my window, but to give you a peek. real quick, know what i'm saying? see that that right there that's the pond, right? well, every morning i see ducks swimming by and stuff. it's like a little nature channel for me. it's the small things you start appreciating when you get locked up. [ bleep ] like this, i never would have stared at a pond when i was on the streets, but i'm obviously not on the streets. so this is my entertainment. got a groundhog that comes out of that hole down there, see him every morning. he gets under that fence somehow. envy that, i definitely envy that groundhog. >> thomas costa might have a new view, as his stay at the bergen county jail appears to be coming to an end. he recently went to court, and along with catching a glimpse of
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his girlfriend, alyssa schlossberg, he was given some good news about his recent probation violations. they were combined with his current sentence and he was given a choice between prison or rehab. >> i was either going downstate for five years or taking a drug program. i got a long-term inpatient, which is six months. still waiting to hear if i got accepted into the one program i did apply to. >> schlossberg also had good news from her judge. she pled guilty to her charges of distributing cocaine and was sentenced to the state's drug court program for a period of five years. if she completes the rigorous program that includes inpatient drug rehab and frequent testing, she will avoid further incarceration. >> and alyssa left five days ago and as soon as i found out the address i was writing. just like i do every day. i write faithfully. i wrote here. but she's not going to get that letter -- actually, she'll probably get it around today. what i hear, it's a five-day blackout period.
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>> aaron sofield continues to deal with his addiction, and the jail's drug rehabilitation center. >> aaron sofield's growth was amazing. he came in with the attitude, maybe i'll do this program. from that day, just progressed into, wow, i do have a problem. i do have something in my life isn't going the right way. and i need to change it around. >> in fact, sofield who was in jail on a theft conviction recently turned down a chance of freedom in order to complete the program. >> he went to court, and he told the judge that he wanted to stay in this program, which i thought was important. a lot of people will not do that. >> i have court two weeks ago, i think. the prosecutor and judge told me i could leave. time served, you know. basically -- get out. my stomach told me, i couldn't leave. i was only here like 30 days. every other program i've been to, 30 days, i was right back to the same thing. running the streets. it's not good. i want to get this to work this time.
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i don't want to have to do this again. >> to accommodate his request, the judge gave him a longer sentence than he normally would have, 180 days. but sofield is eligible for early release upon successfully completing the program. >> what have you learned in here about addiction? >> the main thing i've learned is that i can't do it by myself. my thinking has changed since i've been in here. i totally don't think the same way i did when i first came in here. >> aaron has a better chance than most of the guys we have in here. we has a very supportive large family. he's bright, he's got college, he has a driver's license, a place to live, a car. that's more than many of the people who leave here have. getting better is making a decision. it doesn't just happen. it's saying, you know, i'm not going to pick up a drink or a drug, i'm going to get the help i need. >> yes, sir. >> all right, good luck. and we'll see you. we'll see you during the week, okay? >> yes, sir. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> today i might know i don't want to use. tomorrow's tomorrow. the 90 days in here i know i'm not going to use because i can't.
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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 bunky 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 viim
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