Tonight on 60 days In the first five participants enter the jail. But first, Gerson, the youth minister from El Salvador has a change of heart and drops out of the program. He was very nervous about prospect in the first episode. To me this made his smarter than the ones going in all cocky. Gerson says that Fulton County Jail is a lot rougher than the Clark County Jail used in previous episodes. I’m glad Gerson is tapping out.
Zone 600
Jon, our pretty boy paramedic is the first to be placed into a cell. He has no knowledge of Fulton County Jail, so he about to get a big education. He is going into the zone where the old men are housed. Why? He walked into cell 605. He currently does not have a cellmate. I am typing while watching, but I did not see another white face in his area.
The men are locked up in tiny two bed cells 20 hours a day. It’s time to let them out. Jon will have his first time in the day room. Seconds after he sits down, one of the few white guys in the room approaches him and asks what he is in for. I should mention the white guy is gay. This could be problematic. Don’t believe me? Ask Brian, the corrections lawyer from California who was mercilessly sexually harassed in a much easier prison. The guy introduces himself as CJ and Jon wanders off after him like a puppy dog. Another white guy named Brandon shows up and he has been welcomed to his people. Jon is already giving away food.
DelRico is the pod boss in 600. He rules with and iron fist and has many altercations with inmates to keep them in line. He’s very intimidating.
Don is the next volunteer inmate we see rolling in. He’s married with four kids and his father and brother have both done time. His purpose for doing this is to help reform the prison system. It occurs to me this season everyone is local to the area. They may get family visits. Don has an attitude with the corrects officers already. He doesn’t want to be told what to do. Um, dude. Welcome to jail, Don. DelRico will be your greeter. Don goes into 607 and his cellmates stuff is on the top bunk. He moves it down to his bunk. That was a mistake. HOLY SHIT! DelRico is his cellmate. He’s gonna get his ass whooped day one! DelRico’s first words to Don were, “Man, you just fucked up!”
500 Zone
It looks like Calvin the married SPED teacher and father of three is the next to subject himself to this. His cover is fraud and credit card fraud. Calvin is hoping that his experience will be of some help to end the many wrongful shooting of black men by the police. Calvin walks into cell 507 were there is a man asleep on the bottom bunk. He rolls out his matt on the top bunk and immediately doubts that he wants to do this. These cells are hot and tiny with no windows. There is one metal bunk bed, a table a stool and a toilet. The man in the bed below asks if he is stressing about being in. Calvin says he is. The guy is in for armed robbery by force. It’s 19. Calvin says he’s just a baby! He meant it nicely but the cellmate cusses him out.
South Annex
The women are housed on the south annex. They were transported in tiny van with bars all around it. There were so many women shoved into the hot space I wondered if it was legal to transport that many prisoners at once. Watching it made me claustrophobic and anxious. Jessica is our girl in this van. She’s the woman to found her husband in prison. Last week I questioned if she was smart enough to survive this. I hope she is. She will be staying on I-Pod. Then men are housed in cells of two, the women are housed in pods of 8. When she arrives to her pod, there is one open bed; however, another inmate known to be the fighter of the pod, named Lyric is using it as her vanity/pantry. Jessica just drops her mattress on the ground. We hear from other actual inmates about Lyric. She’s trouble. I already don’t like Colonel Mark. He’s the man in charge and he says that I-Pod is drama and fighting all day. Dude, that’s on you! When Lyric arrives she is smartassy nice to Jessica. This is not good.
Jessica sits to herself quietly and observes her dayroom. She sees Lyric palming a pill from another inmates medication. The girls take the pill and mix it with coffee and candy and Lyric kindly shares with all of her podmates. Jessica politely declines. Lyric suggests that Jessica needs the whole jail experience. Jessica remains steadfast and says she’s good.
Soon production shows up to interview everyone and Jessica approaches a producer right away wanting to talk. Jessica says she is not in distress, she just has to tell them how much drugs are in the pod. She says the trustees are the ones bringing the drugs in.
Next in is Michelle. She is the one I said would tap out on day one in my last recap. The producers are worried about her before she even goes in. The participants and in under assumed names. Because of that they can’t get medical treatment without tapping out. Michelle is having a panic attack and I don’t blame her, I would be too. I’m having one for her at the moment. There is a fine line between stupid and brave and this show is right on that line. She needs to tap. But she doesn’t.
Unlike Jessica, Michelle is transported by herself to the jail. Maybe the stifling van ride is after the group shower and cavity search. Yep, that cramped ride while shackled is a forty five minute drive to the annex. They would have to drug me or knock me out. I could not do this ride. Michelle is going to freak the fuck out. Was that Michelle or another inmate who said they were in for murder? That’s a bad cover story if that is Michelle’s.
Michelle actually made it to the I-Pod. In her pod of eight, she is the only white person. They are not quite as nice to her as Jessica’s group was to her. They immediately inform her that everyone in this pod likes pussy. They lick nipples and pussy all night. Great. Send me to do drugs with Lyric. Later her podmates play poker. It’s a cross between strip poker and truth or dare. The winner of the game chooses a sex act for the losers to perform. I’ve seen Locked Up Abroad episodes that seem like easier time than this. Since they were locked down another white girl is in the cell. Michelle doesn’t play cards but everyone else does. The losers all have to strip. The other white girl is resisting. The other girls all run around nekkid screaming at the top of their lungs. Someone actually comes on the intercom to tell them to shut the fuck up.
Next Week: When production pulls out Calvin for an interview, his roommate immediately suspects he’s an informant. Don’s cover story doesn’t fly with DelRico. There is a giant beat down in the South Annex. The remaining three inmates are booked in.
Oh my, your recap gave me anxiety. Just starting to watch it right now…
This sure ain’t no Clark County. If locked up abroad is better, my gawd. I already am anxious. Thanks for the great recap. On to the show.
This season is so juicy and these inmates are nothing to be played with. When Don moved DelRico things off his bunk I just knew somebody was getting there ass whopped ? lol great season so far.
I know! I wanted to scream “STOP!” when he moved the guy’s things. That’s just how naive he is. He obviously had no clue whereas the chick whose husband had been incarcerated knew not to touch anything.
I am sort of shocked but also proud Fulton County is doing this. It’s like wide open for all the world to see. Maybe some real good is going to come from one of these reality shows.
Ok, shit, this is nuts. I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY!
Forgive me if I don’t know names yet, I’ll work on it. The girl with braids and the jailed hubs, I think she will do well. I loved how when she got in the confessional she was giddy about telling them about the drugs. Hope she doesn’t pull a Tami though and spout off about “you’ll understand soon enough” and blow her cover.
I worry for Don, he touched the boss’s stuff, and even though he seemed like he was ok, he’s not gonna forget that. Plus, he’s got an attitude with the COs, not sure if it’s put on or legit. He troubles me.
Oh dear Calvin, calling his bunkie a baby, sigh. Hope he gets out of that one.
Michelle’s (?) cell is beyond. I wouldn’t mind the nakedness but the noise, Jesus, I’d lose my mind.
I think Jon is going to be ok.
Wonder if any of them will catch on that there are others in the program with them? Maybe being in the smaller cells for most of the day they won’t get to know other cell mates as well as they did last time?
Had to laugh, after Michelle decided to go, and she said back to producer “I don’t know you fool”, I thought yep, that’s about how badass I would be, total. I’d die. Lol
Also, kudos to Fulton County for showing this (their) shitshow of a jail.
These were very good first episodes. Now the reality settles in-not looking easy for any of them.
Don is going to have to get his brain in gear to deal with his cell mate, for sure.
It seems the put Don in the most difficult cell. And the most dangerous one. I question the wisdom of this decision. On the other hand, Don has the best shot at getting to the bottom of some issues.
That said, ANY OTHER GUY but Don would have a better shot in there. He has a major attitude problem.
Luckily, they don’t also have to deal with charges, lawyers, etc. The stress for first timers must be phenomenal. I think that’s how I’d think to get through this if I were to be on the show, knowing thank god this isn’t real legal stuff. (That would kinda be a giveaway I imagine if they aren’t talking about that).
This show is riveting, and believe me this is definitely REALITY! I worked as a drug and alcohol counselor in a women’s prison–the stories I could tell you! I only lasted for a year because the salary was horrible, and I wanted to earn my teaching certificate instead. Whenever I see shows like this, it takes me back to the rigorous, four-weeks of training I received. I was so naive that I was never scared while counseling violent offenders, etc. I just went in every day and did my job. I would like to think that I helped some poor soul along the way! 🙂 Maybe I am still a bit naive.
I like how they are interviewing the other inmates, and if the inmates have seen the show, wouldnt they figure out when there is a production crew in the jail, that it MIGHT be 60 days in? How many other jails have camera crews in them?
Jon was annoying me with the “you know what I mean?” after every word. I am worried about him and if he is going to get too messed up in the head with the inmates, and poor Jessica and Michelle! If they dont join in some way, there will be suspicion. Last season that one woman had a long story about being a recovered addict and they left her alone. OMG my husband is a cop and I wouldnt even do that for a million dollars, forget going to prison. Brave people
They have always interviewed other inmates as cover, but this season, at least in the beginning, they are showing more of those interviews.
I understand that this show is very popular in prisons. I’m not so sure how much prisoners in jails like Fulton County are aware as they only get four hours out of the cells everyday, and one of those is usually recreation.
That said in the promo, one of the males said “We’ve got 60 Days In here. My cellmate is an informant.”
It seems like the cat is out of the bag for future episodes.
An oddly fascinating show. I would NEVER volunteer to go to prison, not even a white collar one, and can’t fathom why anyone would.
I worry about Jon also. But he’s cute in a naive pretty boy way. It’s funny he wants to change the system but he doesn’t understand it at all. Respectable he’s giving it a try at least. Now how would a girl find him in real life. Lol