Original subtitles

[clock ticking]

[tense music playing]

-[Freeman] Miller! -[Miller] Yeah?

Grab all your stuff. You're moving out.

-Can you tell me where I'm going? -We'll let you know when you get there.

[narrator] After getting caught on camera making a shank,

David Miller is being removed from the pod.

[Miller] I'm gonna be honest with you.

What's going on here, I'm gonna file a report.

Because it's wrong.

I'm here being harassed.

[K3] You steady drawing attention on yourself

for the whole unit to get shut down. You only care about your damn self.

Hey, where you going?

[Ty] You talking about Miller?

[K3] Where you going?

This could possibly be the end of the actual program.

So it's pretty much left up to the sheriff at this point.

[tense music building]

[theme music playing]

[door slams]

[ambient music playing]

[narrator] After taking the time to review the footage,

the sheriff has come to a decision about the program.

[Higgins] So we had an individual with a shank.

And so he needed to be removed.

But we felt this was a situation where it was an isolated incident.

It's one person.

We're still looking. We're still observing and trying to evaluate their behavior,

but they've made some progress.

And we want to try to continue that progress.

And I didn't wanna shut the whole unit and put them all on lockdown.

I didn't see that this was necessary at this point.

[indistinct chatter on TV]

[Randy] David Miller. I... I'm glad he gone.

There's still a lot that we gotta accomplish

to get it together to become the community.

And I know it's coming.

Yep. Just set it in there.

Get two of 'em. Fill it up with water.

[narrator] Realizing that the problems with Miller

have created a turning point for the unit,

Randy wants to bring the generations together

while things seem to be under control.

[Randy] We just want the chili warm for the sauce.

That's all we need. Fill up this end.

Everybody put their pride to the side and coming together to work together.

Feel it.

[indistinct chatter]

[Randy] Bring the community together.

All the oldheads. Me and the youngsters.

That's what I got to do.

The tough man role.

We don't need that here

when the role that we need here is helping each other.

Building each other up instead of breaking each other down.

That's what we working on.

Look, I'm making the crust for the pizza.

Wait till you see it.

[indistinct chatter]

[Randy] Have to go get the chili now.

The chili and bring me some water.

[Tiny] You finna working on that. I ain't never seen that,

and I been doing time for a goddamn minute, shit!

[Randy] You never seen it?

No.

[Randy] Pay attention.

Thug Life Pizza.

[inmate] That nigga made a pizza out of noodles.

Hey. What they give us is what we got.

Ramen noodles, refried beans, Summit Sauce,

Jack Mack chips, chili with beans.

[indistinct chatter]

Man, that shit looked fucking horrible, man, but I ain't never seen it.

I seen him pour a bag of meat on there. You know what that was?

Man, it was fucking liver.

That shit looked like blood, man. That shit don't look...

You don't want none of that shit. Hell no.

Mm-mm.

[Randy] Get your spoon and then dig in.

We're just gonna sit here and eat.

There's gonna always be chaos in jail.

We gonna always wanna fight each other.

But sometimes you gotta put your differences aside.

[Mayham] Domino's ain't got shit on Randy.

Hey!

Do anybody want some of this, they can come and try it.

I consider myself being a role model, 'cause when I was in their predicament

back in the day,

there wasn't nobody doing stuff like I'm doing for them,

the youngsters in here. No one.

I wanted to step up because no one else will.

[indistinct chatter]

[Randy] Hey! Y'all eat up!

Randall, he been through this way longer than us.

This unit is working the way it's supposed to because of him.

[inmate 2] You say, "Everybody eat."

And when you say, "Everybody eat," everybody eats.

[upbeat music playing]

[loud chatter]

[inmate] Play ball!

You want some of this, you bitch. Get your old ass up!

[narrator] It's the end of week two, and despite the turmoil caused by Miller,

the inmates have managed to stay on course and are finding their stride.

Dang. Y'all lift what? Ninety now? Eighty-five?

[narrator] They're working out.

[all] Forgive us our trespasses...

[narrator] They're participating in Bible studies...

[inmates praying]

Amen.

...and they're working on themselves through addiction classes.

We admit to ourselves we are powerless over chemical substance,

that our lives have become unmanageable.

[Willie] It's a relief he died down and kind of...

getting a... get a hold of itself. The Beast has tamed itself.

[Mayham] Everything running smooth to me.

Everything working here how it's supposed to be.

[D2] I think so too.

[Mayham] Everybody know right from right and wrong from wrong now.

Everybody acting mature in here.

[inmate speaking indistinctly]

Doing the things I'm doing, when you think about it, it's just me.

It's not a big deal.

-[inmate 2] Right. -But it is because we hurt everybody.

[inmate 3] We're here to change that, man. Hear me.

[upbeat music playing]

[music fades]

[narrator] Even though the unit is making real progress...

[funky guitar music playing]

...significant sources of tension remain.

[busy signal]

I don't know how the fuck this shit work!

Dealing with phones in here, you really be going crazy.

That's a real thing. Like, you gonna go... You gonna lose some sanity.

♪ The sky is falling down... ♪

This shit ain't on there yet.

How much money you got on there?

Four dollars.

[inmate] $1.88. Do what you can.

It's good. [clicks tongue]

Put a dollar on the phone, that'd be like three minutes.

Ten months, man. Hear me? That's the last time my people sent money.

I haven't had no funds to make phone calls

because you need money on your books

to talk to our family and handle real business.

All my friends, all my homegirls, they fell off the map. You hear me?

-That's fucked up. -Yeah.

I don't have a lot of funds for the, uh, for the phones.

So I can't afford to contact my son, you know, like I really want to.

♪ 'Cause the sky is falling down... ♪

His answering machine picked up.

I'm trying to contact my parole officer. They won't answer my phone calls.

Nah. I got money on my phone, so I'm finna see...

Try to use a phone at a certain time, and somebody just hogging the phone.

Ain't gonna be able to call nobody.

Hey.

And then once you get on the phone, it be almost time to shut it all down.

The good thing is I got the phone, and I think...

[operator] You have three minutes remaining on this call.

You have three minutes remaining. Then it's over.

Now you got no more money on the phone.

You know I love y'all. Good night.

The phones? It's like fucking torture in there.

It's like fucking on some Alcatraz shit.

Can I call you back?

[woman on phone] Yes, five minutes.

♪ The sky is falling down ♪

Ugh.

[purposeful country music playing]

[Higgins] It's been two weeks since I went in and unlocked the doors,

but they've made some progress. We want to try to continue that progress.

-Chief. LT. -[Freeman] What's going on, Sheriff?

Hey, Sheriff. How's it going?

And if you're following all the rules and doing what needs to be done,

we'll introduce more privileges.

[music ends]

I'm thinking I want to introduce something.

What are you thinking about, sir?

Free phones.

[ambient music playing]

Interesting.

[Higgins] In jail, calls aren't free.

The detainees have to have money on their books

to be able to use the phones.

I hear detainees talk about, you know,

one of their frustrations is, "Nobody's put anything on my books."

So if your family doesn't have the money, you're isolated from them.

So I've decided to make phone calls free.

We've opened the doors.

So this is a natural step. It can positively impact the unit.

We know it's important for them to have contact with their family members,

with people who care about them.

Research shows those contacts help not only the detainee,

but it helps the environment.

[music ends]

Um, probably need to set some parameters on it.

What's your concerns?

I see four phones and 48 inmates.

-That can be a problem. -Mm-hmm.

[Hendricks] That's simply what it boils down to in my mind.

-There's gonna be the strong individuals... -[Higgins] Mm-hmm.

...that might want to go ahead and hoard the phones.

[percussive music playing]

And if that happens, what do you think the result's gonna be?

It could possibly be some altercation may go on.

If they want as much time on those phones as possible, so, uh...

As far as giving them that access, if they can't figure it out,

it could turn for the worse.

Another downside of it is, "Who are you contacting out there?"

Is there someone who is gonna keep them in a negative environment?

Is there some beef going on outside that comes into the facility?

Without the deputy in there, and I know there's risk involved,

but this program is about risk.

So we're hoping that they can work through those relationships.

Each phase of this is proving

that you can do this.

I think it's so important we move in this next step.

Okay.

I appreciate the concerns, but I think if you're... no incidents at this point,

I think we're ready to go ahead and give them the phones.

It's gonna be a challenge, and if they don't do it right,

we could have some problems.

But, you know, opening the doors is one thing.

For the program to be successful,

you gotta do more than just open the doors.

So let's make it happen.

-We'll see how things go. -[Freeman] Copy that.

[music fades]

[slow percussive music playing]

[background chatter]

[inmate] Here comes Miss Owens.

[indistinct chatter]

[Ty] Hey.

Miss Atwood, I got... Oh, that's not Miss Atwood.

Miss Owens, bro.

Do you not hear me?

Hey! Hey!

Miss Owens comes up, and I'm fucking with her, you know.

I'm like, "Hey, Miss Owens," and she's, like, ignoring me.

I'm like, "Hey! Hey!" So she puts this thing on the wall.

What?!

Bro, hell no. Free?

[inmates laughing]

Yo!

[excited yelling]

[inmate] What you talking 'bout?

It's free calls, nigga!

[indistinct]

Free calls! [indistinct]

Free calls! What you mean?

♪ I'm hearing it's about to go down ♪

♪ It's about to go down ♪

♪ It's about to go down ♪

[Ty] She puts this thing on the wall, and it's like, "Free calls,"

which is lit. Know what I'm saying? That's lit, brother.

-We're about to... -Blow the fuck off.

[Willie] Haven't had no funds to make phone calls,

and now all of a sudden,

a blessing came where I had free phone calls.

[inmate 2] Work together as a community to share these phones.

No unit, no other unit is doing what this unit's doing.

No other unit.

No.

-It's paradise. -[excited chatter]

-[inmate] It starts immediately! -[Big Mel] Say what?

[Ty] Get to the phones!

[excited chatter]

[funky music playing]

There's only a select few phones in the barracks

so that's where the problem comes.

A person don't want to get off the phone? They can sit there riding it.

[inmate 3] Hello? Hey.

[Randy] Some people ain't wanna get off.

-[inmate 4] You gotta share that phone! -That's the problem.

[inmate 4] Don't share that phone, you're dead wrong!

[excited chatter]

Hey.

It's getting hectic. It's getting hectic.

-Free calls! What?! -Like everybody waiting on the phones.

I got some money on the phone.

Watch. You're gonna have a fight.

[inmate 5] Y'all went wrong, grown fucking baby.

Tell me something good, y'all wanna listen. [indistinct]

[Mayham] Shit annoying as fuck.

Everybody rushing to be in the line on the phone.

Everybody that don't get on the phone want to be on the phone

or be mad about being on the phone when they been on the phone.

Man, it's just crazy 'cause free shit just drives folks crazy.

I ain't got a beef stain on it. Bop in the tech column, ho!

[Squirrel] Hey, man, for real.

There's gonna be a fight in there, y'all! [laughs]

Perfect, weirdo. Punch the zero.

[Willie] No, man.

You can do that after mine. I'm on the phone next.

You finna get the phone. I ain't finna use the phone.

-Everybody good? What you doing? -Yeah.

Somebody care 'cause I was supposed to be on the phone.

[inmate 6] You can't hang it up right there.

[Willie] I was trying to call outside lawyers before the firm closes,

but when I went to grab the phone, a boy jumped up.

He just wanted to brag about nothing.

[inmate 6] Blood, that shit say 12.

Nobody give a fuck.

-[inmate 6] Shut your punk ass up. -Shut your punk ass up, fat boy.

Don't nobody care. I'm trying to handle some business.

Get the fuck away from the phones, dumbass.

Fuck you, stupid ass.

Fuck you, stupid. I'mma press the button on you.

I would smack your ass.

You wouldn't smack shit! Come smack me now then, boy!

I'mma knock your fat ass out.

-I'll put you on your fat ass. -[inmate 6] Don't wanna hear none of that.

-[Willie] You ain't got to hear it. -[inmate 6] I don't wanna hear it.

I was trying to control my anger.

But in my head, I'm like,

"I'mma beat you silly up in... right here with this phone."

"I'mma snatch that receiver out the wall and hurt you with it."

-Your shit wasn't even important. -I didn't know when they'd call again.

-They were talking to me. -So you get some understanding, bro.

[Randy] Man, these free calls are serious.

Free phone calls made a whole...

changed the folks' whole personality.

These niggas ain't used to using the phone.

Niggas is just rude and stupid.

[Randy] We were just calming all the way down now.

You see how quick that changed?

Zero to 60, quick up in here.

You was not at the phone when I grabbed it.

I was already in front of the phone. Why are you still talking to me?

-I didn't know that though! -All right, I was telling you though!

You trying to prove a point, and your shit is null and void.

We gonna see who gonna get smacked or knocked out.

And I doubt it's gonna be me.

[Randy] If we can't figure out something, we gonna self-destruct in here.

We're gonna have to come together,

'cause if we don't, it's gonna be a whole total mess up.

And everything gonna go back to like we was.

They're gonna be visiting us behind the doors.

[Willie] Do that later on your time.

All right. Fuck that phone.

♪ Ain't gonna call When there's danger in the streets ♪

♪ Will you call? When you gonna call? ♪

Giving them the phones allows them an opportunity to reach out,

hopefully for some positive things.

That ain't your phone, you just got off it.

They can't come together on a simple thing like that?

What make them think they come together and make this change for the better?

But that's gonna create some stresses in the unit.

We're not putting extra phones in.

They have to operate like a community.

Y'all took it! It's took!

-Shit! -[Randy] Come on, man.

They've gotta work that out.

[Randy] What's wrong?

[narrator] After several hours of the inmates

trying and failing to establish order on the phones,

Randy finally comes up with a solution.

[Randy] Best thing to do?

One fifteen-minute call.

Have a phone list.

-Get free phone calls. -No, have a phone list.

And that'll solve all these problems. I'm gonna start a phone list.

I knew the phone was going to be chaos,

but me?

I tell 'em, "Make a phone list."

The only thing going through my mind. Try to make a phone list.

Whoever wants the phone after me, just write it down.

'Cause if not... if not... if not, there's finna be a problem.

-'Cause they just come... -[inmate] And is this phone 2?

-That's phone 2. -Okay, this is phone 1?

This is phone 1.

Here, give me this. Let me put this on the wall.

[inmate] All right.

[indistinct chatter]

I come together with the young and the new about this.

So we got a phone list.

See all these? Cox used it. I used it.

After they get through using their 15, we mark off our name.

Then whoever else wanna use it, they come and write their name on there,

instead of just cutting in front of somebody,

to keep chaos down.

But as long as we got ourselves situated on it, we're gonna be cool.

[loud, indistinct chatter]

Hey, come on there, we supposed to be up there.

Am I next? Or who?

Yeah, I'm next, man.

That's you.

I got you.

[inmate 2] Yeah, we make lists around here any time we do things, you hear me.

We gotta get things in order, man.

If we're not getting order, we're gonna get chaos.

And we don't need it.

[Randy] I didn't come up for me or the older ones,

I come up for the younger ones. This is the best solution.

Now it's up to them if they wanna go about this solution right here,

but I think this is the best solution on this.

And the older guys, we have to be the role models.

[indistinct chatter]

[Randy speaks indistinctly]

Yo! Let's go. I love this jail!

Not really.

-[inmate 3] I just got my hair done. -[inmate 4] Gonna make a call to my girl.

[Ty] I know you don't, man. Stay safe out there, man.

-Let me tell you something. -What?

[narrator] In an effort to further reduce tensions,

Randy attempts to get Sykes to talk to Willie and squash their beef.

[Randy] I'm in the middle of some bullshit.

I don't even know what they're arguing about.

But I'm trying to hold them back to stop them

before it became a war.

It's easy.

[Sykes] Easy.

[Willie] I'm a private person, man.

He got me out of my whole character. I don't stand there and argue with you

or go back and forth about something like that.

So I went back in my cell.

Make sure that I can cope with... these idiots in the zoo.

[ambient music playing]

[Sykes] Man, you know my fault, bro.

[Willie] You can't do that, man.

I don't like asking a nigga for shit out here, bro.

Hey. And I definitely don't wanna get into it with you, man,

'cause we better than that, bro.

I know you was going through something. My fault, man.

Nah, I'm not tripping, man.

Know what I'm saying? I already know what you're going through.

-[Willie] No... -[Sykes] Definitely my fault.

-It's all good, bro. -Yeah.

I'm stressed, though. I'm stressed the fuck out.

-[Sykes] We should be better than that. -Yeah, yeah.

It turned out better after he apologized,

but I still stayed in my cell soon as he apologized.

I still don't want to deal with nobody.

It felt like, "Hey, I finally get to call my lawyers,

and I don't understand how good things turn into problems."

But here they can.

When I'm be about to explode, I gotta come back and check myself

because I was just this close to going away.

And then I threw away everything good that's right here.

It's a blessing using the phone, and at the same time,

it almost turned bad.

People gonna wanna just test you and push you,

and you can only be so humble so much.

But I'm all right. I'm gonna make sure I'm all right

'cause I'mma gather myself.

With the free calls, we still gotta watch ourselves, man,

but this program has helped me mentally maybe feel a little bit more freer

in... in captivity.

["Turn Up a Lil' Bit" by ADGRMS and Dexx! Turner playing]

♪ Turn up a lil' bit ♪

♪ Turn up a lil' bit ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey Show, show that you're into it ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey Turn, turn up a lil' bit ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey Turn, turn up a lil' bit ♪

[music fades]

[narrator] The unit has successfully navigated

a number of different challenges,

but seeing that David Miller's bad behavior

could've caused the sheriff to shut everything down...

Now that shit lame as fuck!

That shit lame as fuck.

...Randy turns his attention towards other individuals

who might pose similar risks.

-This shit lame as fuck! -[Rashaad] You don't wanna fight.

[Randy] One person that's been on my mind for the last two, three days...

-Huh? -[Randy] Chauncey been on my mind, man.

Look, I know some are growing...

You be catching attitude with everybody.

You think I care? You grown men.

You still standing here listening for what?

He look like he fresh as hell.

-Been in what? About a month on him? -I think so.

[Randy] He's fresh in here.

He's stressing over some horseshit he can't even feel.

I wish there was somebody that really can break it down to his level

about what's really going on.

That might be the only thing that can fucking help him.

These doors open, and now we on free range of the phone.

I'm grateful for this right here.

When we come together as one in this pod we're in,

we can make anything happen.

So we see one of us mess up, we're gonna go to 'em and talk to 'em.

What's wrong with you?

I know something's wrong with you.

[Chauncey] I just be... I be thinking. I'm facing a life sentence.

I don't got time to play.

That's why I'll be walking around y'all thinking to myself...

I know how it is when reality kicking in especially when you're young.

Mama and sister and all them,

they gonna tell you everything going to be all right.

They ain't sitting here facing a hundred years.

They ain't sitting here facing a life sentence.

They can tell you it's going to be all right all they want.

They don't know.

["War Ready" playing]

♪ 'Cause you ready, 'cause you ready ♪

♪ 'Cause we ready, 'cause we ready ♪

♪ To get heavy, to get heavy ♪

♪ 'Cause war ready ♪

My name's Chauncey Young.

I'm from Little Rock, Arkansas.

I've been in here for a month.

Um, I got a list of charges. Actually, I got, like, six charges.

I'm fighting aggravated robbery, theft of property, first degree battery,

possession of controlled substance with intent to deliver,

and the rest I don't know off the back of my hand.

But, um, I want to be a technical engineer

and dealing with computers and technology and stuff.

That's what I like. Gaming and YouTube and stuff like that.

I really...

I'm really not supposed to be here.

Mom, I'm ready to get up out of here.

That's all right.

It's gonna all come together just the way it needs to.

And ain't nobody gonna have to worry about nothin'.

[Chauncey] Ain't nothing I can do about it, I'm sitting in jail!

[Chauncey's mom] I know that. I know that, baby.

I know that.

[Chauncey] I can't accept my fate.

As long as I still got breath in my body, I still got a chance.

You know what I'm saying?

It's stressful for me.

But I know it's stressful for my mom and my sisters as well.

I know they don't want to see me in here, but they can't do nothing right now

to help me get out.

I came here by myself.

I'mma leave by myself. That's what mindset I keep.

I'mma be... I'mma keep gangster with you.

One thing. Don't snap.

I did that before. Didn't get me nowhere.

Got more trouble, more charges, more time.

We facing life sentences, 20 years-plus, 40 years-plus.

Who don't want to fight? Who not angry?

I'm 20 years old. The time they offering me?

I'll barely live that much time. Forty, sixty years?

Check this out. Be careful what you doing, man.

'Cause you live with these other people who could get mad.

I don't care what none of these people do. I'm not worried about it.

Dude, the older dudes, 30 and 40 years old?

They too full of theyselves.

Talking to them ain't going to help you. 'Cause all they tell you

is what to do and what not to do.

But everybody here for they own reasons.

Listen. Check this out.

This word's been going through my mind ever since I was locked up.

We're all one.

I don't... I don't think that's good. Everybody don't think alike.

No, agree on how this should be, not read,

but how we can operate this to try coming together.

Do you ever think about that?

It's easy to tell a motherfucker that, but it's not. It's hard.

I wanna...

[Chauncey] I honestly don't care about nothin' in this jail.

Ain't nobody gonna come to no agreement.

Somebody gonna have a problem.

Nah. It ain't gonna go right. I promise you.

It ain't gonna go right.

We all gotta work together in here.

If we don't work together in here, how we going to build something

by tearing it down?

Ain't nobody thinking about that. I am.

I'm sick of this shit. I'm ready to go every day.

Please believe me.

[laughs]

[percussive music playing]

[Crooks] Hello? Hey, what are you doing?

Oh, yeah. I feel that shit.

I just... all our phone calls are free now.

[Higgins] I've chosen to make the phones free

because that's so important

that these individuals have contact with their loved ones outside

'cause the dangers of feeling alone can lead to depression,

and it could cause them to lose hope.

They say she got my nose and eyes. She got my nose, though.

I think that outside contact will help them endure,

so to speak, being locked up.

[indistinct]

Family first, it's way more than you think important

to be in contact with them. We got some people facing life in prison.

Life-plus or the death penalty.

So, yeah, it's way... It help a lot.

[indistinct chatter]

[Ty] Realistically, everybody in here is hurting, you know?

It's just like when you out of sight and out of mind, they think that, um,

"It's okay. He's all right." The whole time he's hurting,

but now that we get to talk to them and be like, "Hey, you know."

"I need you to call me so I can see your face."

"I need you to come see me, you know. That would mean a lot to me."

Shit like that, you know, that makes a difference in here.

[indistinct chatter]

[Finch] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm calling to [indistinct]. Yeah.

Yeah, we got the houses...

Thirty-six years old, I ain't never had no free fucking phone calls

being locked up. This my first time ever experiencing something like this.

So my phone time is precious to me because this shit is a privilege.

I don't call making bullshit-ass calls.

[Finch] Is what?

[busy signal]

[Finch] Yeah.

Okay.

Whenever I do, hell, man, I got my boy. That makes me feel good.

That's what I got to live and keeps me ticking in this motherfucker.

-[indistinct chatter] -[busy signal]

[Finch] Three, five, six. Yeah.

[busy signal]

The number busy, man.

Hey, your shit be doing that? Been seeing that busy all the time?

-Sometimes. Yeah. -What the fuck a motherfucker gotta do?

I don't know what the hell be going, you know.

But I know he's busy as hell.

I know he's busy through these good times.

The scheduling's tough. Like I said, he playing sports.

He's studying a lot.

[Finch] They be doing that shit.

[Tiny] What the fuck? No way they're home.

My son is 14 years old.

Just trying to get back out there to him,

but I haven't talked to my kid in a long time now.

I really miss him. You know?

I was hoping, hoping to talk to him.

[poignant music playing]

Unlocking the doors and having phones, you can think, "Okay, that's great."

But that could create tension.

The flip side of it is it increases the chance of them receiving bad news.

[exclaiming]

[Higgins] Or they may reach out and not have the opportunity to talk to someone,

so that's stress in and of itself.

I tried to call and shit. I was like, "This shit gonna fuck me up."

[Higgins] You react in a negative way, and that's when the fight starts.

Then it just starts rising, and it spreads in the unit.

That's the danger of this.

At least you tried on your end, so.

Just keep on doing your job,

what you been doing, and stuff gon' play out for you.

-It's gonna be all right. Yeah. -Thank you.

You know, I mean, I know it's just a call for my kid, man,

you know, but even as a gangster, that shit can hurt.

[music fades]

[indistinct chatter]

[funky music playing]

[narrator] Life in the jail goes on, but the emotional stress caused

by the free phones continues to linger for Tiny.

♪ Hold on ♪

♪ Hold on ♪

♪ Keep your head up Hold on ♪

[Tiny] I got... I only got this much.

[Randy] So, let's see.

Count the trays.

She calls exactly how many trays.

It's up to the guards how many trays it is.

If it's extra trays, whoever serving them, get them.

But you ain't obligated to get extra trays all the time.

Y'all serving. Tell her it's two servings short.

Come on, let's go.

You usually get two or three for passing out the trays or cleanup.

You get extra amount of calories of food and shit.

[Randy] We've not been given extra trays.

I know, but they sent me exactly the same amount of trays as inmates that we have.

And I can't call for extras, see what I'm saying?

Unless people are going to trial.

So we got 40 people...

Fuck that shit. I'm not doing that shit for free.

Sometimes we get extras. Sometimes we don't.

I don't do that shit for free!

Uh, the tray situation just started to get... Oh my God.

[Tiny] She need to come and get these motherfuckers then.

Ain't nobody supposed to be working for that shit.

In that case, they can bring their trusties down here or that bitch in here!

[Randy] She did that...

Because that's how that shit go. I know how that shit go!

They ain't supposed to have you work for none of that shit!

-[Randy] She did that. -I don't work no more for free!

She did that! She called exactly how many trays it was.

Folks think that I'm...

I don't know what they got going on.

Only thing I'm supposed to do is make sure everybody eat.

I asked Tiny for help serving,

but they didn't put me over to say

how many trays is gonna be left over

for them to get. I don't work that department.

[Tiny] You go tell her that shit ain't right!

What about them trays? That shit ain't right!

That shit ain't cool, bro!

-You be running that shit, huh? -[Randy] You talked to her yourself!

-[Tiny] But you owe me shit! -[Randy] I ain't owe you shit!

[Tiny] That shit ain't right!

Be a man! You know you owe me that shit!

[indistinct arguing]

[Randy] Aye, come on, nigga! The fuck is wrong with you?

[Tiny] Hey, don't do that!

[arguing continues]

[Randy] I ain't got nothing to do with that.

But first of all, you were down there.

She told you herself, nigga. She told you that, nigga.

[Tiny] You owe me shit!

You owe me shit, though!

Man, nigga, fuck you.

[Tiny continues yelling]

[dramatic music playing]

[Tiny] Get your bitch ass out of here!

Nobody else was trying to break it up, so I was just kinda like, "Shit."

You know, I had my turn to step up. I went ahead and broke the shit up.

[Tiny] Let that bitch go! Bitch, get out of here!

In the end, it was petty what they were arguing over anyway.

The moment was just like, "Damn, they're finna fuck it up for everybody."

Man, y'all, y'all niggas crazy.

Over trays, man. That whole thing is ridiculous.

[indistinct chatter]

[Chauncey] They don't know how to act.

It's just simple as I can put it. They don't know how to act.

His job is to make sure every motherfucker gets fed in here.

That's his job. That extra shit?

That's... you know what I'm saying? That's on them.

[Mayham] Folks pissed. Folks can't talk to their folks.

They get irritated. But they thought in this unit

that the young folks was going to be the ones to be the riley, riled-up ones.

But look who's it been lately.

That ain't something people even got upset about. Real nigga shit.

Brother, hell, I'm just telling you that shit.

[yells]

[Ty] And, like, Randy, he'll be like,

"All y'all need to do this. Y'all need to do that!"

And he do the same shit. You know what I'm saying?

-[Randy] Old school versus younger school. -Hell, no!

Hey. Take the ball now.

I feel like it's up to us to change it,

and I feel like we gotta step up to the plate and change it.

I'm not finna let him say the young niggas fucked it up.

No, we ain't did shit, hell. So far the old niggas fucking it up.

[indistinct chatter]

So what do you think about the system I got going on?

Man, you running shit.

Not like, you know what I'm talking about.

-[Randy] I just organize. -Yeah, you organize.

I'm not a pod boss. I just organize things the right way.

We don't got no pod boss. Ain't nobody over nobody.

[Big Mel] Randy, he my roommate.

He from my hood and he a OG.

He a good dude, man,

but he's the type that he want to run the show.

Everybody's their own man and their own boss.

We can't tell nobody what to do,

but we can ask somebody, "Hey, could you stop doing this?"

[Big Mel] He act like a guard. He policing.

"Get in your cell. Get you in your cell." "Man, get up and put your shirt on."

Man, I hate this. I hate people like that, bro.

And at the same time, man, Randy's causing problems.

Talk about the conversation earlier.

See, I do my thing, bro. That's one thing you gotta stop doing.

-Worry about yourself in here. Everybody... -No.

I'm just saying worry about yourself in here.

These motherfuckers give a fuck about none of that.

They worry about their self.

That why I say mind your business when it come to these niggas.

I worry about me, myself, and I.

I don't care about this place.

Worry about yourself. They don't give a fuck about what y'all doing.

I do that in the street. I be in everybody's business.

I'm saying, you ain't supposed to. You know better!

So I'm supposed to let one of these youngsters fall?

Yeah! You know what they call you? They call you Pod Daddy.

[ambient music playing]

-Pod Daddy. -[Randy] What's that?

[Big Mel] I mean, you raise everybody.

You birth and raise everybody. You're a Pod Daddy.

'Cause God told me to be a caretaker?

-Don't be God in here. -But that's why I'm doing it.

I would say, just stay out of their business.

I'm not gonna let nobody fall, like I fell when I first came.

They gonna fall.

-You in everybody's business. -Whose business am I in?

Everybody talk about this!

You think I don't get tired of hearing that shit?

You in everybody's... You is!

-Who said that? -[Big Mel] Everybody.

Everybody will tell you...

Everybody who's saying you're still in their business.

-That's whose business you're in. -Ain't nobody told me nothing.

[Big Mel] I know. They talk behind your back. I just told you.

I'm getting a headache.

I think you just need to sit there and commit yourself.

Stay out of people's business. That's all I'm asking.

I don't be in folks' business. I just be myself.

They don't love you. They talk about you every day.

I'm why these folks are here.

[Big Mel] Randy, you on some bullshit. I don't wanna hear it.

I don't respect shit that don't respect me.

I don't like him, fuck him. You know what I'm saying?

I'm here to do my time. Fuck him. I'mma do mine. That's all.

Do you see the problem? That's the problem.

"You need to stay out of people's business." Like...

That's what I'm still trying to figure out.

Why do they say that?

And I don't be... I don't be nowhere around them.

Or is this just certain people saying this?

You say something about me before? You haven't said anything about me?

-About what? -About me.

-By you? -About me.

About what?

Have you? No? Okay.

[indistinct chatter]

[dramatic music playing]

Have you been saying I be in folks' business?

Have you ever said that I be in folks' business?

-I'm just asking a question. -No.

Thank y'all.

Have you ever said that I be in folks' business?

-No, why would I say that? -Thank you.

Off the record.

Have you ever said that I be in folks' business?

-Have you ever said that? -No.

[loud, indistinct chatter]

That shit right there just took me to a whole 'nother level.

["Prisoner" by Raphael Lake, Aaron Levy, and Daniel Ryan Murphy playing]

♪ I'm over the edge I yell and I scream ♪

♪ Come get me Set me free ♪

So...

I do this every morning for the last couple mornings.

Take my mind...

I'm trying to hear words of encouragement.

Not words of defeat.

[breathing heavily]

Say something to build me up, not break me down.

I don't like things disturbing me

when I got things on my mind that's bigger than...

bigger than I can handle.

Keeping this unit, keeping this community together,

that's way bigger than I can handle.

[song ends]

[narrator] As H Unit continues through the third week

of the sheriff's six-week experiment,

Randy remains troubled that the youngsters don't appreciate his leadership.

[Chauncey] We watching cartoons, man!

-[Randy] You had your time last night. -We ain't get to watch nothin'.

[Randy] Y'all was up all night, true story.

I seen all of it.

He needs to control shit. All right, you can have it!

[Randy] I ain't controlling shit, but you ain't neither.

-You can have it! -[Randy] True story.

You think you know everything.

[Chauncey] Piggity-pig-pig-pig!

[Randy] Get your fat ass in there, nigga.

[Chauncey] Huh?

[Randy] Get your fat ass in there.

Piggity-pig-pig-pig!

You better get your big funky ass in there before I come and kick you in your head.

Quit playin' with me.

When I feel like folks, instead of just bothering me,

I'll go and run and get that clarity into my mind.

Then that calms me down,

but I can get really, really...

I can get really pissed quick.

Piggity-pig-pig-pig, pig-pig!

-You playing with me? -Pig!

[dramatic music playing]

Get your fat ass in there.

[music builds]

Come on, Unc.

[Randy] You can get in here and sit your ass down. Just for a minute.

[struggling]

[Randy] I'm a gorilla.

-[Chauncey] Hey, man, chill out, man. -[Randy] Who you talking to?

I fuck with you, man, but don't go trying to think

that you're tougher than me.

[Chauncey] Come on, man. Y'all trippin'.

Y'all trippin, Unc.

[Randy] You get too serious. We fuck around. We play with each other.

[Chauncey] No, I don't want to play with you like that.

[Eastside] I'm just trying to get coffee.

He just popped out of fucking nowhere.

-Grabbed him and put him in the room. -Fucking Batman.

He said, "You need to sit your fat ass in the room."

We were just sitting in the room like, "What the fuck is going on?"

[Chauncey] You woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

-[Randy] No, I was playing with you. -[Chauncey] You're 50 years old playing.

-Fifty years old playing. -You hear what I said.

[Chauncey] Watch out. Quit playing, nigga.

-Your grown ass. Get the fuck out the way. -You hear what I said.

He a hypocrite.

He the main one causing problems.

Then he want to tell everybody what not to do.

But he's looking at people crazy.

You're like, "Dang, you doing this? Look at yourself, you doing stuff too."

Words don't give you a reason to put your hands on nobody.

-Grown-ass man. -What's up?

I'm not worried about you.

I was changing the TV this morning. He got mad.

-I ain't get mad about nothing. -What we watch every morning? Good Times?

Thank you.

Randy Randall, he's fucking amped up.

Yeah, he don't even give a fuck.

He don't even practice what he preaches anymore.

You talking about me to someone. And I sat up.

Like they said. And you started going on. So, so that's the problem right there.

True story.

I'm out here to tell you that bullshit.

It don't work like that, bro.

You start some shit... It don't work like that.

[Ty] He just... I feel like he gets mad at people for no reason.

It's literally not a day that goes by that he's not yelling at somebody

or, like, into it with somebody.

The youngsters are not fucking with him no more.

Every day.

Every day, bro.

Every day.

He be a certain motherfucker every day.

[Randy] We done talking here.

From this point on, we ain't got nothing to say to each other.

We say something else, it just is what it is. We done talking.

I been told you.

-Well, you came downstairs... -I been told you I'm straight on you.

Leave it alone then, right now. Just leave it alone.

-Don't say nothing to me. That's one. -I'm not even talking to you.

-That's one. Okay. -I can speak whatever's on my mind.

Grown-ass man.

Fifty years old.

[Randy] It's over with.

You my grandma's age. You my grandpa's age.

Everybody, leave me alone. I'mma say this one more time.

Please leave me alone. Please don't say nothing else to me.

[whistles] Huh.

I done seen a lot of folks' mouth get them in trouble.

It either can make you have a long life or it can make you have a short life.

[tense music playing]

Look around you up in here.

What do you see?

Juvenile.

[music fades]

[funky music playing]

The commissary, it's gonna take forever for us to get our...

-[alarm trilling] -Every time.

-Fired up. -[imitating alarm]

[alarm continues trilling]

[trilling stops]

Trying to be on lunch break.

[indistinct chatter]

[busy signal]

[ambient music playing]

[narrator] Despite numerous attempts,

Tiny still hasn't been able to actually reach his son.

[line ringing]

[line clicks]

Hello?

-[boy on phone] Hey. -Hey, what's up?

What's up, my boy?

[boy] What up?

How you doing? Have you been doing all right?

[boy] Yes, sir.

Well, you sound like a big boy. How much you weigh now?

[boy] About 140.

-140? How much you bench press? -[alarm trilling]

[boy] Uh, 190.

190? Almost 200 pounds?

That's a lot. That's what I'm talking about.

I'm proud of you, man. You read me?

[boy] Thank you, man.

I'm proud of you, man. I love you so much, man.

[boy] I love you too.

Where are you now? Aren't you supposed to be at school?

-You on a lunch break or something? -[boy] It's spring break.

-Ah. It's spring break already? -[boy] Yeah.

So what your grades looking like at school?

[boy] I don't know my grades. Should be good.

-You keep studying. You hear me? -[alarm trilling]

[boy] Yes, sir.

I love you, man.

[boy] I love you too.

You seeing your cousin? You seeing your cousin Josh?

[boy] I've seen Uncle Lunney. I went hunting with him a couple times.

Oh, you have? What you do, bow hunt?

[boy] Uh... No, we, uh, rifle.

I'd do some fishing but I ain't messing with no guns.

I'm scared of them guns, man.

I'd do some bow hunting and fishing. We'll do that.

[boy] You should've seen my mama's face.

[both laughing]

[loud chatter in background]

[ambient music playing]

[Tiny] I feel good, man.

So...

Yeah, I was kind of nervous a little bit. It's been a minute.

I'mma call you later on.

You hear me?

[boy] Yes, sir.

All right. I love you, man.

[boy] I love you too.

All right, son.

[boy] Bye. Love you.

Love you too.

[ambient music playing]

[Randy] The only thing I'm responsible here to do.

Make sure the trays is passed out.

Make sure the laundry is done.

I'm the one who had to take care of all the problems and fix things.

But then when I get myself in these little fender benders like this,

it's like... no one's there.

[music fades]

A lot of folks don't want to lead this program.

I didn't consider myself a leader. I just wanted to be helpful.

But if they look at me with side cocking,

that mean they hate me.

Some people say you talk a lot, but I feel like, you know what I mean.

-You do your best you can to motivate... -What do I talk about a lot?

Be honest.

I don't know.

Just sometimes you can get pushed to a point

that anything can happen, 0 to 60, like I been saying.

But what if I don't want to take that responsibility

and then what'll happen?

No, it ain't me. It's us.

It's all of us, not just me.

I always stick my nose in their business to stop them.

And then they go behind me. "You need to stay out of people's business."

And so that's why the mishaps come along around here.

'Cause everybody think that you trying to boss them.

There ain't no pod boss here.

See, it really takes humility.

You gotta be humble about shit like that. You know what I'm saying?

Once you be humble,

then people will really fuck with you. You know what I'm saying?

Seem like every time something happened, I'm the one taking the rap for this shit.

Why do y'all need me in here?

Guess what?

They do it their own self, their damn time.

So I told you, y'all can do whatever you want to. I'm done.

[music builds, fades]

["Take Your Shot" by King Marino playing]

-♪ You say you want my spot ♪ -♪ Come and get it ♪

-♪ Wanna take your shot ♪ -♪ Come and get it ♪

-♪ Think you're looking real hot ♪ -♪ Come and get it ♪

♪ Come and get it ♪

♪ I'm the GOAT, you're not Come and get it ♪

♪ You can be my mascot ♪ Come and get it ♪

♪ Show me what you're made of Come and get it ♪

♪ What you made of Come and get it ♪

♪ Show what you made of Come and get it ♪

♪ What you made of Come and get it ♪

[music fades]