Later that day we were transferred to Freehold Youth Detention Center, which is right near Asbury Park, N.J.(I have "Greetings From Asbury Park" on vinyl, great record, pro'ly Springsteens' best) On the way the cops warned us to stick together, keep each others' back, etc.
When we got to the Freehold Detention Center we were each put in seperate cells, by ourselves. There were hardly any white kids in there besides me and my H.-bro. Most of the kids were black and Puerto Rican. I was there for a week or 10 days or so. It was a rough place but I managed to survive it without gettin into any fights or puttin' my tail between my legs either. There are some crazy stories I could tell ya about my time in that joint but maybe I'll save that for later, this story is long enough as it is.(See appedixes 1 and 2 for stories about Freehold Detention Center, Monmouth County N.J.)
So after a while I was extradited back to VA to stand before a Fairfax County judge. The Fairfax cops who had come to pick me up were in plain clothes in an unmarked car. They put shackles around my ankles and cuffed my wrists. I had to wear a heavy, wide leather belt around my waist and a long chain ran from my ankle shackles to that belt. My hand-cuffs were also attached by a chain to the same belt. There were a lot of chains on me and of course i was in the prisoners uniform.
It was a bit of a drive down the interstate back to Faifax. At one point the cops decided we had better pull into one of those interstate plazas to get something to eat, you know the kind with a Roy Rogers and and a coffee shop with vending machines and a gift shop 'n' all. The state and federal flags were flyin' high in the wind.
The cops parked the car and got out. Then they got me out. I had to walk into that place all chained up. Ever'one was lookin' at me kinda sideways. I couldn't walk very fast because the shackle chain was only about 12 inches long. It was an agonizing walk into the Roy Rogers. I felt righteous in a way, because I knew I was bein' persecuted by a corrupt system on the other hand I felt a strange kind of shame too. Mothers with young children looked at me in fear and hustled their children along before me.
The cops took off my cuffs long enough for me to eat a hamburger 'n' fries and then escorted me back to the police car. We started down the interstate again. They suggested to me that I pro'ly knew a lot of drug dealers in Faifax and would I be interested in workin' for them as a narc. I tol' 'em noway. The radio was on and I remember "Help" by the Beatles came on and it was the first time I really listened to the lyrics:
"Help!, I need somebody,
Help! not just anybody,
When I was younger, so much younger than today-ay I never needed anybodys' help in any way,
But now those days are gone and I'm not so self-assurred...
Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the door
Help me if you can I'm feelin' dow-own..."etc.,
Yeah I had alot to think about durin' that ride, in my chains, in my police car cage...