Midnight Express - Consequences of Theft in Turkish Prisons
Billy Hayes:
What's Jimmy's story? Why is he in here? Hash?
Erich:
No. He was caught stealing from a mosque. That is also a heavy crime here in Turkey.
Billy Hayes:
What did he steal?
Erich:
Two candle sticks.
Billy Hayes:
That's all?
Erich:
That's all.
Billy Hayes:
Why? Why would he do that?
Erich:
Who knows? He's always been a wild child. He's got more balls then brains. Did you know that he was in here for a year-and-a-half before he told his parents what happened to him?
Billy Hayes:
What about you? What are you in for?
Erich:
Hashish. 90% of the foreigners here are in for hashish or drug related charges from smuggling to possession. My advice is you get yourself a very good lawyer and try to argue down the charge you face. If they make it possession, the sentence is lighter.
Billy Hayes:
What were you convicted of?
Erich:
Smuggling hash with the intent to sell.
Billy Hayes:
What sentence did you receive?
Erich:
12 years. I've been here for just over four years.
Billy Hayes:
How much did you have on you?
Erich:
100 grams.
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Midnight Express - Conversation About Arrest at the Airport
Jimmy:
So... Billy, what are you in for? Hash?
Billy Hayes:
Yeah.
Jimmy:
Where'd they get you?
Billy Hayes:
The airport... trying to get home.
Jimmy:
You go through customs?
Billy Hayes:
Yeah, I was busted right at the plane.
Jimmy:
Aw, man that's heavy. That's very heavy.
Erich:
It's bad if they get you for smuggling, but if they make it possession, the sentence is lighter. The best thing for you to do, Billy, is try to make bail. If you make bail, you're free. You can easily get yourself a fake passport on the black market, or get yourself across the border into Greece.
Jimmy:
Dream on, Erich. They'll never grant bail to foreigners whom may be a flight risk.
Erich:
But if you argue in court about you being innocent...
Jimmy:
This ain't the good ol USA! This is Turkey, man! It's a fuckin accident here if you're innocent! There ain't nobody here that is innocent!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.
Midnight Express - Introducing Characters in a Foreign Setting
Billy Hayes:
I'm Billy Hayes.
Jimmy:
I'm Jimmy. Jimmy Booth. I'm an American just like you. This other guy here is Erich... something. I can't pronouce his last name. He's Swedish or something.
Erich:
Just Erich.
Jimmy:
Yeah... well, what do you think of this place, Billy?
Billy Hayes: [looks around the prison hall and courtyard]
Looks like some cheap rundown hotel.
Jimmy:
Yeah, thought you'd say that. Everyone says that this place looks like a cheap hotel.
Billy Hayes: [sees peacocks along the fence of the prison]
Peacocks. Why peacocks?
Jimmy:
The Turks use em instead of dogs to patrol the fence because they shriek like hell when they're approached or disturbed. Plus, they don't get rabies.
Billy Hayes:
Who are the kids?
Jimmy:
Kids? They're not kids. They're local street urchins the Turks lock up here in a separate wing for the juveniles. Boys as young as nine or ten years old. They're thieves, drug dealers, muggers, con artists, pickpockets, rapists, murderers... you name it, they do it. Don't trust any of them!
Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.