Transcript for the Piece Audio version of Matthew and the Judge: Juvenile Court Diary

Matthew and the Judge: Juvenile Court Diary
Prison Diaries
Produced by: Joe Richman All Things Considered (NPR)
1/16/2001

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: For the past 14 years Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah has been chief judge of the Rhode Island Family Court. Part of his job is to decide whether a juvenile offender is sent back home to his family, placed in foster care, sent to a halfway house, or like sixteen-year-old Matthew, incarcerated at the Rhode Island Training School. Matthew and Judge Jeremiah were both given tape recorders, they kept audio diaries over the course of the year, telling the same story but from opposite sides of the bench.

MATTHEW: My name?s Matthew. I?m locked up. I got incarcerated for the first time at the age of 13. Did a couple months, got out. Stayed out for a little while, got arrested again. Did some more time. Got out. Came back. I?m still here.

[Hear walkie-talkie noise, keys jangling. Fades down.]

MATTHEW: Yeah, this is room 58, this is my room. Just turning my knob, open the window up. From right here I can see, see a couple billboards, and I can see the highway. When I first came in here I was like 5?5". I couldn?t look out these windows. Now I?m 6?4", mm. Now it?s different, you know what I mean?

[Walkie talkie noise, keys jangling, fade up. Hear door hinges squeaking]

GUARD: Let?s go.

[More walkie talkie noise, jangling keys. Hear door close, key turning in lock, sound of shuffling feet]

MATTHEW: Right now I?m in the foyer. [people talking in background]. This is like the little hallway towards the day room. We sit here so the staff can watch everything that?s going on. Like all these guys that?s working right now, they?re like basically new. They weren?t here when I were here back then.

STAFF: And this piece can do what.
MATTHEW: It can move straight.
STAFF: Or diagonal.
MATTHEW: Nah. No diagonal. Just straight.
STAFF: Can this thing move back?
MATTHEW: No.

[Chess lesson fades down. Hear Matthew explaining chess moves.]

MATTHEW: I?m real good in chess. I just always play in my head. So I got good I guess. I practice, pay attention.

[Chess lesson fades up]

STAFF: Why him and him?
MATTHEW: Because?
STAFF: Why when you take my bishop you gotta use this to my rook to take you.
MATTHEW: Cause your rook can?t kill diagonally.
STAFF: So he can move side to side.

[Chess lesson fades down]

MATTHEW: Who knows what prison?s supposed to seem like. But this just doesn?t seem like the place that they would call prison. There?s nothing to worry about. All your food?s free, bed, blanket, all the envelopes free, provide you with clothes, they pay for everything. Hmm. It?s like a free vacation.

[Chess lesson fades up]

STAFF: I don?t know what pieces put me in trouble. I don?t know what pieces put me in trouble.
CHESS PLAYER 2: should I help him out?

[Chess lesson fades out]

[Rustling papers]

MATTHEW: My mother, she doesn?t write me too often. Just every now and then.
[clears throat]
[reading from letter]
MATTHEW: Hi Matt how you doing. Fine I hope. I?ve missed you a lot. You know when I [clears throat] when I used I always missed you so much. I might as well still be using drugs. Matthew you?re too smart for this. Act like it. Well please, well please?
[hear rustling papers] I don?t even know what this says because page got ripped before I could read it. Me and my mother we're close. [clears throat] Yeah, we were pretty close. She was a, she was a crackhead. When my mother first started using I think I was about three years old? And uh when she came back around to her senses I was about, about eleven? When I got like 12 going on 13, I was a bad, bad, bad kid, like, fightin. Drinkin. Smoking weed. You know selling drugs. Doing whatever I wanted. Then like I slipped up. I got arrested.

[Tape clicks on]

GARY: Is it on?
MATTHEW: This is my man Gary.
GARY: What can I do for you?
[Gary continues talking. Fades down.]
MATTHEW: Gary is uh he?s the school social worker. He?ll tell you what?s what, you know what I mean? I talk to him just about every day.
[Gary fades up]
GARY: School, job, or the streets. How do you make those choices?
MATTHEW: Well right here you got a lot of time to think, you know what I?m saying, so you got to think about what you want to do. And you know you got to make the right choices not to come back here.
GARY: What was your choice last week that you told us you would make?
MATTHEW: My choice I?m gonna go back out and sell drugs. That?s what I choose to do.
GARY: Suppose you got your GED and could start working towards college you know. What would you wanna do with your life? Other than sell drugs.
MATTHEW: I would go to college and sell drugs.
GARY: But what would you go to college for? You can?t major in drug selling.
MATTHEW: No, I could major in business. And that?s what I take drugs as, a business.
GARY: You?re giving up all your life, Matt. You?re missing high school, you?re missing?you could be doing so many other things with your life. Especially you, you have so much potential I?ve told you that before. And I hate to see you even talking about going back.
MATTHEW: All right so these people heard it clear from my man Gary the social worker.

[Tape clicks off]

[Hear people talking, key turning in lock, back in cell]

MATTHEW: Yeah. It?s late, probably like, going on ten. It?s Thursday tonight. Been thinking a lot. I really, I really want big things in life. It?s hard, I?m young, you know what I mean? I?m always in jail. If I?m not in jail I?m out there trying to make the money to get where I?m trying to get. I?m telling you it?s gonna happen one day. Just like one day I?m gonna leave this place, like I always do. So tomorrow when I go to court, know what I mean, if the judge lets me out I?m gone. And I?m not gonna say it, but we all know what I?m gonna do when I get released. [lights click off] Lights just went out. Crawling under my blanket. Ch-ch-ch-ch. All right. I?ll see what up in the morning. I?m out.

[Tape clicks off]

[Hear people walking around office, moving papers]

MAN: Hey judge.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Hey how you doing?
MAN: How you doing Chief?
JUDGE JEREMIAH: good. Are you gonna be around this morning?
MAN: Yep.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: All right.
MAN: I?ll be here till about eleven.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: All right, catch up before you go.

[Hear shuffling papers, door closing]

JUDGE JEREMIAH: Okay, my name is Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr. And I?m the chief judge of Rhode Island family and juvenile court.

[Hear people moving around the office]

JUDGE JEREMIAH: Hey Steve. [sound of typing]
JUDGE JEREMIAH: I just came in the office; it?s about 7:30. And uh, my secretary?s coming in. Good morning, Beth.
BETH: Good morning.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Let?s see what we have. These are the juvenile cases I have. 1,2,3,4,5,6. Hmm, if people show up we?ve got a busy day. Umm. This is Matthew?s file. In size it?s a lot bigger than the other files. [papers rustling] He?s been a busy young man. Uh, he started off in 1994 with assault and battery. In 1995 tampering with a motor vehicle, was dismissed. And the charges with delivery of cocaine and possession of marijuana. [papers rustling] Whoa, this is way back, look at this. This one talks about the family. It appears that the mother was a uh, used drugs, cocaine, crack and marijuana. The father?s identity is unknown. [papers rustling] When you look at the family history I think that kinda bothers you. Because some kids have never had a chance in life. See, during his stay at the training school, he?s kept himself out of trouble, he experienced few to no problems.
[Dial tone]
[touch-tone dialing, local number]
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Hey, it?s Judge Jeremiah, how are you? Good, can I put you on speaker? Okay. Matthew? Tell me about him.
MAN AT TRAINING SCHOOL ON PHONE: He done, he did very well in my program. Never had a problem with him. He can be a good guy when he wants to be, he just needs to get his self together in the street.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: What do you think?
MAN AT TRAINING SCHOOL ON PHONE: Matthew?s gonna be 17 years old? If the chief judge feels as though he wants to give him a shot, I have no problem with that.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Okay. Thanks Joe.

[Hear dial tone, JUDGE JEREMIAH hangs up]

[Hear lots of people talking]

MATTHEW: Yeah, this is Matt. Inside the courthouse. Waiting to go inside the courtroom. I?m nervous man this is it. Gotta see the chief. The chief judge. I think he thinks I can change, I think he got faith in me like, but I don't really know.
BAILIFF: All rise please.
MATTHEW: But I don?t really know.
BAILIFF: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. All persons having business before this family court holding in Providence, within the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantations may now draw near give their attendance and they shall be heard. God save the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantation. The honorable Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah, Jr. presiding.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Good morning.
ALL: Good morning your honor.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: You understand what we?re doing today Matthew? You understand you?ve goofed up a couple of times, haven?t you.
MATTHEW: I?ve moved up?
JUDGE JEREMIAH: You?ve goofed up.
MATTHEW: Oh, yeah.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: And you?ve had heavy marijuana use. You understand that too?
MATTHEW: Yes sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: You understand you have a brain in your head?
MATTHEW: [stifling a laugh] Yes sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Really, look at you. You have a, you?re above average in Math. You can?t write too well, but you have a brain in your head. You?re gonna be something in life, can?t you?
MATTHEW: Yes, yes sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Do you wanna be something in life?
MATTHEW: Yes, sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: What do you wanna be?
MATTHEW: I?m not sure yet.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: You understand if you goof up again you?ll be 18 months in the training school, you understand that also? And you understand that I?ll make a promise to you right now that if you come back before me and you?re adjudicated on any offense you?ll spend 18 months. I?m gonna give you one chance in life, do you understand and this is your last chance. Any questions?
MATTHEW: No sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: You?re released. Take the handcuffs off him. [sound of handcuffs] Don?t fail. You understand that? All right, thank you guys.
MATTHEW: Yes sir.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: All right, thank you now.
BAILIFF: Okay you?re all set.
ATTORNEY: Thank you very much.
MAN: Thank you.
ATTORNEY: Good luck.

[court sounds]

JUDGE JEREMIAH: It?s obvious he?s an intelligent kid; let?s give the kid a chance. If he goofs up, he?ll be in there for 18 months, he should know that. [court sounds fade down] You've got to remember the mission of the court is rehabilitation, not punishment. They?re juveniles. That?s our mission, and that?s why, when he comes before me, and he has a good report at the training school and they recommend he get out early, then you let him out. But there?s always a little doubt.

[outside courthouse]

MATTHEW: It?s a nice day, you know what I?m saying. Raining, feels good. Looking at downtown Providence. Gonna relax. [music fades in "Don't put me out" by R. Kelly] Have a ball. This is what I been waiting for.

[Music fades in, up and out]

MATTHEW?S MOTHER: Good morning. This is Matt?s mother. He?s back at the training school. I?m going to court to see exactly what they?re going to do, I don?t know. But anyway, I am on my way out the door. Umm I?m thinking of possibly taping the umm courtroom session that they?re going to be doing today, if they?ll allow me. Okay thank you bye.

[tape clicks off]

BAILIFF: How you doing m?am?
MATTHEW?S MOTHER: All right, all right. Is that the same Judge as that day in this room?
BAILIFF: Yeah, the chief?
MATTHEW?S MOTHER: Yeah, the judge he went in front of the last time. They?re charging him with possession of cocaine with intent to deliver.
BAILIFF: I?ll let you know when that case is gonna be called. Okay?
MATTHEW?S MOTHER: All right.
BAILIFF: Soon as I find out.
MATTHEW?S MOTHER: all right.
BAILIFF: Okay.

BAILIFF: [Yells] Ready in 5K. All rise please. You may be seated.

JUDGE JEREMIAH: How are you, Matthew?
MATTHEW: fine and you?
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Good, just didn?t I just let you out of the training school?
MATTHEW: yes.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: How long ago?
MATTHEW: two weeks ago.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: What are you doing back here again?
MATTHEW: Huh. Why did I come back?
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Yeah.
MATTHEW: Hanging with the same people doing the same things.
JUDGE JEREMIAH: Well here?s what we?re gonna do today. The state has a motion for certification.

[Judge Jeremiah continues talking, voice fades down]

MATTHEW: I was hoping I wasn?t gonna see Judge Jeremiah. I didn?t want him to just look at me and feel like I?m a disgrace, or what the hell is this kid doing, I just gave him, like a big break, I just let him out seven months early.

JUDGE JEREMIAH: Do you understand I had a lot of faith in you? I thought you could go back in the community and be a real success. You kind of let me down. In fact you really let me down, you understand that. And it kind of bothers me because I think that kids like you should be given a second chance and I think I gave it to you. But the third chance I don?t think you get. So the court will accept the admission, you?ll be at the training school until you?re 21 with no reviews within the first year. Thank you very much.
BAILIFF: If you leave the courtroom quiet please?

[court sounds fade down]

JUDGE JEREMIAH: I personally feel like I failed. I feel upset about it. I let the kid out expecting that okay he?s learned his lesson and now he?s gonna be okay. And he isn?t. What do you do with a child like that? If a child comes back and you let him out, and he comes back and you let him out, and he comes back the third time, I think you?d better start giving up on that child. I wish I could say that when he finally finishes at the training school he?ll never be back in the system again either as a juvenile or adult, but I can?t say that. I wish I could say it, but I can?t.

[Door opens]

JUDGE JEREMIAH: Thanks Barry, thanks Jill, see you tomorrow.

[Good night.]

[Hear footsteps fade out]

MATTHEW: This is Matt. I?m back in the Rhode Island Training School. Felt great to be out. Man, fuck this shit. [sighs] I?m fuckin mad. This fuckin dumb joint and this fuckin Toys R Us land, man. This is a prison but it reminds me of Toys R Us. Nothing but kids running around here acting dumb all day. It?s a waste of my life like wasting in this joint when I can be out doing things. Been doing, all, been like my whole teenage life in this motherfuckin joint. I think, I think I?m rehabilitatable but they don?t think so. I think I am. I just didn?t break through it, but it?ll happen. You know, I imagine me doing good. And just living life, the way everybody else does. Working, come home. That?s it. Probably my own joint, my own little business on the side, you know what I mean? Like a little store, a corner store, selling Now and Laters and sunflower seeds, and pampers, and fuckin milk, and eggs, and cheese. I see myself running it, and owning it. Why not right?

[Music fades in, up and out, "Don't put me out" by R. Kelly]

?2001 Radio Diaries, Inc.

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