CHAPTER 4 - COOK COUNTY JAIL

Kacey's "introduction" in the Cook County Jail lasted quite a while: She was asked a series of questions about herself by a police officer and told to emty her pockets. She felt degraded and that she had lost her dignaty when she had to strip naked infront of two male officers and stamd against a measuring board while one measured her and the other recorded the information. Then she had been given a grey uniform to wear, and some basic supplies - atowel, some soap and her bedding.

Now, she was in the waiting room of the prison with all the other nnew women prisoners. Glancing quickly at the clock it was 2:30 a.m. ! She was so tired, all she wanted to do was go to bed - but she couldn't because she had to sit down and listed to instructions given by a warden and wait for Matron Morton to assign them to their cells.

"Hey kid - the woman beside her wispered - what are you doin' here?"

"I've been accused of killin' a guy."

"They don't half start young nowadays don't they!?"

"Quiet! On you're feet!" the warden shouted.

Everyone stood up as Matron Morton walked in.

"Welcome Ladies!, My name is Matron Morton but you can all call me Mama. I'm here to take care of you - so if you're upset or unhappy... don't tell me 'cause I don't give a shit now move it out!"

The ladies formed a line, Kacey was at the back. She was about to go out the door when......

"You must be Fizelle, 'ain't you pretty kid?"

"Thank you Mrs. Morton."

"I told you call me Mama, I'm gonna look after you don't worry!"

She put an arm round Kacey's shoulder and hugged her, this made Kacey feel quite uneasy.

"You're on Murderess Row."

Mama began to escort Kacey to the East Block where Murderess Row was.

"Mama, I shouldn't be here, I didn't do anything!"

"Kid,in this place I ain't never heard of a man gettin' killed when he didn't get just what was comin' to him, and I've been here a long time!"

They passed rows of cells, inside Kacey could see the women in the faint glow of the moonlight - most were asleep, but they all looked old before their time.

Kacey was escorted into her small cell and the door was locked behind her.

"See you in the morin' at breakfast, when you've made up you're bed put you're light out. Oh and one last thing, when you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you."

"What?"

"I mean, you do a favour for me - looking suggestivly at Kacey - and Mama will make sure you get extra privalages." She stroked Kacey's cheek, and left her looking quite scared.

Kacey lay on her cot in the dark thinking, her parents would be so worried about her, and Roxie and Velma probably would'nt want to know her now that she was a "murderess". What to do about Mama? - She;d have to do things she didn't want to like kiss her or something. The thaught made her shudder but she'd have to do it if she wanted to survive at Cook County.

There was no point trying to convince people she hadn't done anything wrong,they wouldn't believe her - she'd just have to find a brilliant lawyer but where was she gonna find one?