Original subtitles

Every year in this country, more than one million women are arrested,

booked by the police, confined for a greater or

lesser period of time in a place like this.

Or this. Or this. Or this.

Next.

Over 800,000 of that million are girls from 16 to 20 years of age.

Still children, for the most part. They are adults

in the eyes of the courts, the police, and the law.

A double standard, which presents a serious and complex problem to us all.

Name?

Hazel Barr.

Age?

Address?

The Grand Hotel. Where else?

Social security number?

Oh, now let me see.

Um...

Height? 9 feet 3 inches.

Weight?

6'14". What are you booking her for this time? The usual. Only narcotics.

That's a lie. He planted it on me.

Yeah, you always do.

Okay.

Next.

Empty your purse.

From time to time, newspaper editorials across the

country have cried out against this situation.

Aroused by these editorials, I decided to write a series of articles on the subject.

I found no evidence of bribery, of theft, of duller corruption.

But I did find a situation that became more appalling to me the more I studied it.

Name?

Terry.

Terry Farmer.

I found the child woman in trouble with the law

is exposed to the most tragic corruption of all,

the spiritual and moral corruption of our youth.

Address?

Address?

Benton College.

Well, we don't get too many college girls in here.

Home address?

Benton College.

Have it your own way, dearie.

If you don't tell us, college will.

Nearest of kin?

Charge?

Okay. Next.

Armed robbery?

That little girl?

Yes.

Last week, another little girl like that almost got me with a stiletto.

It's hard to believe she could.

What happened?

She and her boyfriend heist at a service station. The owner jumped the boy.

He got hit on the head with a wrench for his trouble. He managed to get to a phone.

We picked them up two blocks away. The girl was driving.

The owner gave us a positive ID.

The boy's name is Philip Daly. And both say they're not guilty, as usual.

Are you going to notify the parents? Yes.

We'll get in touch with her, if she doesn't.

What'll happen to her?

Under robbery can get you five to life if the charge sticks.

I'd like to talk to her.

Be my guest.

Next.

Terry.

This is Mr. Marino.

I'm not going to answer any more questions.

I'm not a detective, Miss Farmer. I'm a newspaper man.

Newspapers.

Madeline Hulbert, 1236 Avenue A, age 32, female, Caucasian, height 5 feet 7 1⁄2,

weight 132, hair blonde, eyes blue, nearest

of kin, Abraham Lincoln, charged extortion.

What did I leave out?

Nothing. Practice makes perfect. Next.

Miss Farmer.

Wouldn't you like me to get a message to somebody to help you?

Phil knows I'm here. That's all the help I need.

Is that your young man?

Yes. We're going to be married.

But he's in jail, Miss Fox.

Well, he won't be there long, and neither will I. Phil's smart.

They won't be able to prove anything against him. And then he'll get me out.

You'll see.

Terry, you're in serious trouble.

Don't you want me to notify your family or anyone?

Yes.

Yes, I'd like... No, I'll notify them myself.

Dr. Phil comes for me.

Come on.

Right through here.

Okay, get in there.

Give me a profile.

Okay.

Okay, get in there. Turn blue.

Profile.

Okay, you're immortalized.

You stink.

You're not exactly a gardenia yourself.

Okay, get in there.

Profile. Let's see the arms.

Okay.

You know how old that woman was?

Between 40 and 50, it's hard to tell. He's 28. The age-fast one that I'm having.

Profile.

She hooked.

Okay, you can go.

They don't mix all these prisoners up together, do they?

There's no segregation here. You'll be in a cell full of people like that.

This prison's got 642 prisoners. Room for 400. What do you expect? Private rooms?

That one over there.

Here is the heart of the problem,

a problem faced by every large community in the country.

On August 10th, 1961, an editorial of the New York Times stated,

the approach in New York City and state to the problem of girls 16 to

21 years of age who are in deep trouble with the law is a disgrace.

In this city, most are thrown into the house of detention,

whose heavily barred cells house young offenders and habitual criminals alike.

A fortress of despair.

I don't know.

Mother?

Hello, Terry.

Don't say it.

What is there to say?

I talked to the detective, and he told me what happened.

I didn't do it.

Please don't lie to me, Terry.

I'm not lying. I didn't do it.

All right, if that's the way you want it.

It's funny.

I waited all night for you to come.

Now you're here, I can't talk to you. Terry, why don't you tell me what happened?

What really happened? I can't.

I don't know why I can't.

But you need to talk to someone, Terry.

You can't talk unless both people need to talk.

Is there anything I can do for you?

Well, maybe you could talk to the judge before my hearing.

Judge doesn't discuss a case before a hearing, Terry, and besides, it's Sunday.

Then you could talk to the judge tomorrow.

I won't be here tomorrow. You won't be here? I have to go back to Chicago. When?

When do you have to go back? Do you mean you won't be here next week?

I'll try and get your hearing postponed.

Terry, you know how important these next few days are

for me. Please, please stay. I can't stay, Terry.

I can't afford to lose my job. Job?

Well, don't worry about me.

Go back to Chicago. Philip will be there.

He'll tell them I didn't do it.

I told you to stay away from him. I begged you. He was good to me.

For the first time in my life, I was somebody. I was me.

You hate him, don't you?

You've hated every boy I've ever went with. I don't hate Philip.

I simply hate what he did to you. Well, I love him, and I'm going to marry him.

Now hate him.

If you marry him, you'll be sorry as long as you live, just as I was.

Then why are you after another man?

Terry!

You drove father out of the house. Wasn't that

enough? Terry! You think I don't know?

You don't have to come back! You don't have to come back ever!

Look, we busted that guy four times. Try to make it stick this time, will you?

Thanks.

Rico?

Mr. Marino? How you doing?

How do you live with it, Rico?

Live with what?

What you saw last Saturday with that farmer girl.

We don't live with it.

But you saw, we see every day.

Ten times a day.

We have a job to do, we do it.

Period.

I don't believe it. It's got to get to you.

You're a family man. You have a wife and two children.

Don't tell me you're not a good father. I've been to your home.

What's that got to do with it?

105,000 bodies a year passed through our city prison system. Their statistics.

Bodies with numbers, nothing more.

You think too much about them, you'll go out of your mind.

Where did you take them, Rico?

Female detention, felony wing.

Don't believe for those names, Mr. Marino,

where some of those charmers have been booked 20, 30 times.

I'm thinking about the first offenders,

the ones who've been booked for the first time.

They gotta start somewhere.

Look, Paul, I know how you feel.

I almost ran out on this problem at the end of my first month,

and I got a stake in it. You know where I came from. I grew up with it. Rico,

Terry Farmer's only 17 years old.

She'll be 18 next month. That makes her an adult in this state.

She can make her own decisions then.

Mr. Marino, when you get them on a felony rap,

whatever the age, it's usually too late.

You know, these kids don't start with armed robbery.

Do you think the man with the busted head is in

any less pain because the boy who did it was 22?

Or the girl who drove the car was 17?

You leave her in that place,

and I guarantee you'll have to arrest her again after she gets out.

Paul, that tender little morsel has had two prior arrests, runaways.

She just graduated, that's all.

My responsibility ends with an arrest.

Does it?

Look, Paul, I'm a professional policeman,

paid to protect the public against the people who want to eat it alive.

I'm a hunter.

Why do you expect me to take charge of the zoo?

You don't blame the garbage man for what he has to pick up.

Every cup starts by feeling as you do right now about these people.

Two months later, you have to fight to keep your hands off some of them.

Two months.

Wait.

You'll see.

What happens to Terry Farmer in that cell will determine

what she does for the rest of her life.

I'll tell you what'll happen to her.

She'll go through a cycle.

Phase one, she'll be scared to death.

Phase two, she'll be bored, dull, apathetic.

Phase three, she'll get con-wise. She'll learn the ropes.

And last of all, but not least, she'll get mean.

And just as sure as I'm sitting at this desk.

That's when they'll drop her on the streets.

And we'll have another two-legged bomb walking around looking for a match.

To be caged is to live a nightmare.

Phase one for Terry Farmer.

Fright.

For the last time, shut up!

Let her alone!

Mouth.

When I talk to somebody, I expect to get listened to, understand.

When you talk to somebody, you should make like face to face.

Please, let me alone. Please, let me alone. Please, please, please. Please, please.

You start trouble.

We all got trouble.

You better lay off.

Get out of my way.

All right.

All right.

Hey, my... Watch it.

Watch it.

You start trouble, bully.

You'll need a seeing-eye dog.

Watch it.

Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!

What's going on here?

She threw us in?

I was afraid.

Cut it out, will you?

We like it quiet in here.

Go to bed, will ya?

All right, Farmer.

Come on, come on.

Hey, cheer up.

Maybe you'll only get 20 years.

Terry Farmer's hearing was held in girls' juvenile court.

In this state, such a hearing is without a jury.

Rules of evidence do not apply.

The defendants may be questioned, although they are not asked to defend themselves.

A juvenile may not be admitted to bail.

Terry, you've heard Detective Martinez report.

Do you have anything to tell me?

No.

Where's Phillip? Why isn't he here?

Phillip is the boy you were with?

Did he rob the service station?

Are you in love with Philip, Terry?

We're gonna be married.

I don't think that's any of your business.

Terry, this attitude will only make things harder for you. Please let us help you.

Mr. Martinez, have you notified this girl's mother?

Yes, Your Honor.

Well, she should be present at this hearing. Why isn't she here?

She's detained in Chicago. She arrived today stating that she can be present.

Mr. Perry, is there room for Terry at the Hartman home?

No, Your Honor. All filled up.

What about juvenile hall?

No chance, Your Honor.

Terry, I have no choice. I'll have to send you back to the house of detention

until your mother returns. The hearing will be continued at that time.

I won't go back there! I won't!

I'm sorry. I'm afraid you must.

No!

All right, you may take her back now.

Find out what you can about her mother. I'll see you later.

Your Honor, may I speak to you for a minute?

Yes, of course, Mr. Moreno.

I'll be back at the shop if you want anything.

You must have seen the place you sent that girl to.

Of course I've seen it.

For 20 years, I've complained, pleaded, argued,

and fought for decent facilities in which to place girls like Terry Farmer.

There must be something you can do.

Mr. Marino, how do you suppose I feel when I have to send

a child like Terry Farmer back to that ancient fire trap?

I'm just as concerned about her as I am about my own children.

Every time I look at a girl like Terry Farmer,

I think this might be a girl of my own.

How long do you think she'll let her stay there?

At least until her mother returns.

And then she'll go on trial?

Yes. But what if she's found not guilty?

Mr. Moreno, she will have spent weeks in hell for nothing.

Welcome home. Hello, Pa.

Martinez gave me a copy of the wire from Terry Farmer's mother.

Thought you'd like to hear it.

Unaffordably detained in Chicago and able to return before the 27th, Alicia Farmer.

The 27th?

That's three weeks from now.

What's she doing in Chicago?

Selling cosmetics at a trade show. World pageant

of beauty. Big deal. Yeah, that it is.

What else you got on her? Oh, not much. Divorced.

Supports herself and her daughter on the road most of the time.

No enemies.

No daughter if she doesn't get back here.

Mrs. Farmer?

Yes?

My name's Paul Marino. I'd like to speak to you for a minute.

What about?

About your daughter.

My daughter?

Come in.

Mrs. Farmer, your daughter needs you.

Badly.

What is your interest in her?

I'm writing a series of articles about our prisons.

Terry is in one of the worst.

But I feel if you come back immediately,

together we might be able to get her paroled

into your care until her case is disposed of.

Mr. Marino, I've notified the police that I'll be available in three weeks.

Three weeks may be too late.

Well, I can't go back any sooner.

If I accept her parole, I'll have to stay, and that's impossible.

I don't understand you, Mrs. Farmer.

Don't you care what happens to your daughter?

What do you expect of me?

This trade show is the most important part of our year.

90% of our business is written here.

And if I walk out at this time to take care of her, I'll lose my job.

Your daughter's living in hell, and you're talking about a job.

Do you know how difficult it is, Mr. Marino, for a woman my age to start over again?

You still haven't answered my question.

Do you care what happens to your daughter?

Yes, I do care what happens to my daughter.

But I care about myself, too.

Look at me, Mr. Marino. I'm 40, still reasonably attractive.

I found a man here in Chicago.

I know he's interested in me, and you say my daughter needs affection. Well,

so do I. I can understand that.

How could you?

Mrs. Farmer, every day that girl stays in detention, she goes down another notch.

I've seen what it's doing to her.

No job is worth that.

If I go back now and take care of her, I'll lose more than my job.

I'll lose the man I want.

He lives here, and I... I don't think I'm good enough

or young enough to fight competition long distance.

I've given most of my life to my daughter, and

she has no right to ask this of me, too.

Did Philip send you?

I went to see Philip.

He isn't going to help you.

You're lying.

I have no reason to lie, Terry.

But he promised to get me out.

We're going to be married. We are.

We are.

Mr. Marine, I... Terry, he won't help you.

If he's guilty and you're not, you must say so.

Please, tell me the truth, all of it.

I want to help you.

I will if you'll let me.

Another one. That's all we need.

That's not gonna get you out of here. He lied.

He lied to me.

Who?

Philip.

He doesn't care. He doesn't care what happens to me. Nobody does.

So what did you expect? You got to live for yourself, in jail or out.

So he deserted you.

So find somebody else.

Will you cut that out, please? You're making me nervous.

You know, you can live pretty well anywhere, even in jail.

You just have to know how to get along.

I didn't do anything.

It's what everybody in this boarding house says.

And you want to know something funny?

Some of them didn't.

I'm not lying. I didn't do it. It isn't fair to keep me in here.

Fair?

What's fair?

I'll tell you what's fair.

Do you know what she's in for?

She's pregnant.

She's got no husband, no money.

So they pick her up as a wayward minor.

And what happens to her?

She gets three years in protective custody until she's 21.

Oh, no, no.

She's waiting for a bed in a school for girls.

But now for the punchline.

When her brother is 19, he gets himself busted for manslaughter, cops a plea,

serves two years of his sentence, And then they shove him right back on the street.

Two years?

Yeah, he gets two years for killing a man, and she gets three for loving one.

He knew the ropes, see?

She doesn't.

Do you see what I mean?

What can it do?

Just remember one thing.

Cops, judges, policewomen, probation officers,

all those fancy talkers, they are the enemy.

It's a war.

And a war has two sides.

They're the enemy.

And they'll con you, and they'll lie to you,

and they'll pull every trick in the book.

And if you listen to them, they'll bury you.

But there's a trick, and you've got to learn it.

Don't let them get to you.

If you do, you flip your lid.

Now, you're a smart girl.

That's helpful.

And you're pretty.

That's valuable.

A pretty girl That knows the score can cut herself a nice piece of cake.

Lesson number one, don't throw yourself away on a two-bit heist, man.

I want to know something.

All right.

Did you really love him?

Yes.

Where is he?

I don't know. He ran away. He didn't have to do that.

I wouldn't have told.

Not ever.

Hey.

Lesson number two.

Mind your own business.

Answer, people become things.

Things locked into a steel cage.

To Terry Farmer, time had become a gray dimension.

As seconds, minutes, hours, days melted into an endless blur.

An unconvicted prisoner may not work.

Little or no recreation is provided.

Result?

Fright gives way to boredom and disinterest.

Boredom and disinterest give way to apathy.

Phase two for Terry Farmer.

Did you see? That little tramp squealed at the screws about Margie.

Yeah, I saw.

He threw Margie in the tank.

Oh, that squealer's a trusty, so she thinks she can boss everybody around.

She ain't gonna get away with it.

I'm gonna fix her.

Marjorie was my friend. We was in a cell together for two whole weeks.

Marjorie's a hophead.

Besides, it's not your beef. Let Marjorie fix her.

I'll get her.

Oh, so help me, I'll get her.

Not in here.

Understand?

I think about it, and yeah, it makes sense. I think about it, and yeah,

it makes sense. I think about it, and yeah, it makes sense. I think about it,

and yeah, it makes sense.

I think about it, and yeah, it makes sense.

Everybody on your feet.

Clear this area.

Okay, if that's the way you want it.

You've got till visiting hour to tell me who cut that girl.

If you don't, no visiting hour.

No chow, no cigarettes, no candy, no mail, in or out.

You stupid bum.

I told you to keep your beefs out of this cell.

Now you call the fuzz and spill your story.

You got no call to make me do that. I'll get an assault rap.

So get it!

You got no call to make us all lose our privileges.

I ain't taking no assault rap.

You don't.

You'll wish you were dead.

Why plant it in my bed?

Out of apathy and boredom, the struggle against depersonalization begins.

To be something, anything in this new environment.

Out of this can come violence.

Terry Farmer was becoming con-wise.

The beginning of phase three.

Hobart, pack your toothbrush. Somebody made bail for you.

Well, well, well, what do you know, huh?

Well, you see what I mean?

Madeline.

Hey, kid, don't let anything bug you, huh?

You have my address.

Yeah, thanks.

Well, keep smiling.

You're all wound up in this, aren't you, Pa?

Rico, I just wanted to make one more try.

If this doesn't work... Well, you're back again, huh, Dad?

Now what do you want?

My life story?

I want to talk to you.

About, um, Terry Farmer, right?

Your girl.

The girl you're not going to marry.

Oh, come on.

Do you know that she's in jail?

Everybody's got problems.

This one you made for her.

So what do you want me to do?

Confess to something I didn't do just to get her out of jail?

Well, look at me.

I'm in jail, too.

No.

No, I don't want to talk to you about Terry Farmer or about anything else.

Now, uh, how about you two creeps let me go back to the icebox, huh?

Not yet.

You figure I don't know the score with you, huh?

Pretty chick.

Big hero.

What a setup, lover boy.

It's supposed to take two months to get to this point, remember?

Sit down.

I'll give it a try.

My way.

Look at me.

Okay.

Let me explain in terms you can understand.

We got an eyeball witness on the service station job.

You know that.

What you don't know is we made you on three other jobs.

What other jobs? A drive-in to grocery stores.

We got positive witnesses on your mug for all of them.

They ID'd you, sport.

You can get five years for each.

That makes 20. You'll never make them stick.

You want it bad.

So sit down.

Let's talk it over.

Maybe I'll make a deal.

We make no deals.

Well, let's put it this way.

If I cop out to one, will you drop the others?

Maybe.

I'll cop out to the one at the service station.

Keep talking.

The girl didn't have anything to do with it. She waited in the car.

I told her I was going to pick up some cigarettes,

and then I told her to drive me away after.

Officer, the DA's man will be in for the statement.

You go down the line with him, I'll only file the one case.

Did you really have a make on him on those other jobs?

No.

It was a bluff.

Hello, Mother dear. So you did come back after all.

How are you, Terry? Great.

Just great.

Your hearing is set for Friday, and I'll be there,

and I'll do everything that I can. Don't bother. Terry?

Don't bother.

Terry, what's happened to you?

You wouldn't understand. Terry, I want you to come home with me.

No fooling.

I'm alone. What about him? I lost him.

Runs in the family.

Terry, if we can get you out of this, you will come home with me, won't you?

Home? Please, Terry.

Home is for winners.

We're losers.

You, me, both losers.

But Terry, that's why we need each other so much.

Let me tell you something about losers.

I'm an expert.

Losers walk alone.

It's time you learned that.

Congratulations to her. Congratulations to her.

For today she's a woman. Ain't it sad she's in stir?

Congratulations to her. Congratulations to her.

For today she's a woman, and it's that she's in stir. Here comes the heat.

Many happy returns of the day.

Kid yourself.

Farmer, come on. You're getting out of here.

Happy birthday.

We got daily to confess, Terry. You're in the clear.

Charges have been dropped.

So?

We'll drive you home.

No.

Where will you go?

I'll get along.

I've got a friend.

Come on, Teddy. We'll take you home.

Get away from me! Both of you!

Three weeks ago, a child walked in here.

What happened to her?

We made her an adult.

Yes.

In three weeks.

She's 18 now.

She can do what she wants.

She wasn't even guilty.

She will be.

Next time.

Just another statistic, huh?

All right.

So I'll keep on trying.

And you try, too.

Maybe we'll get somewhere next time.

Go to watch yourself.

She bites.

And so it goes, a thousand times a day in a hundred cities.

A problem we must face squarely and now.

A problem which is increasing day by day.

For the child woman in trouble with the law is a complex problem.

Which we must study and learn to understand.

Above all, it is a problem of moral corruption which

cannot be solved by any fortress of despair.