Hi spanish was fast and angry, even if I was fluent, I wouldn’t have been able to follow. He switched from spanish to english as he spoke to the men sitting around him.

“They are saying attempted murder, fuck!” He grunted as he threw his shoe, half laced, against the wall.

The conversation continued, a mix of rapid spanish and broken english as he continued to lace his shoes and remove his jacket. He laid the jacket on the bench, slowing pressing the lining near the bottom edge. He continued to explore the jacket until he found a small plastic bag filled with powder.

“Want a bump?” He broadcast to the group of hispanic and black men sitting around him.

I rose from my seat moving towards the cell bars and away from these men and their contraband.

“I got green, anyone got papers” another of the men announced.

Was this really happening? I was in jail after all, jail! These men, like me had all been searched on the way in, how did they manage to drugs in? And why would they use coke before court?