cell block

                                    

                                          
Yoon Jeonghan sat up straighter in the courtroom. He had already plead guilty. The judge had finished her deliberations and returned to the room. Jeonghan was confident he would be spared. His family were prepared to support him and pleading guilty was almost guaranteed to get him a suspended sentence. He looked the image of a perfect angel in his nice suit with his fine features and long hair. He had always gotten away with everything.
                          
Things were never supposed to get this out of control. It started out with a few pills. A good time on the weekend. Jeonghan had always been shy, kind of awkward, other guys always called him girly. When he got mixed up with a different crowd through his new job things quickly escalated.
                          
He enjoyed the party lifestyle. Every Friday they would finish up at the Department Store at 5:30, head out for dinner in the city, then hit the clubs. The pills helped. Everyone suddenly liked Jeonghan. He was fun.
                          
His handsome face and charming manner were necessary for his job. He started taking the pills every day. He got promoted to manager of his area - high end menswear. Soon the pills didn't work as well as they used too. Someone offered him something stronger. He called it Crystal.
                          
A snort every morning was expensive. Between his rent, food, the expensive work clothes and Crystal, Jeonghan began to struggle. It seemed like an easy solution, harmless, victimless. He copied sales receipts and account details. He skimmed the top of his customers credit cards. A few hundred here and there. Just enough to maintain his habit.
                          
He got thinner. His hair got longer. His clothes got bigger and his circle of friends got smaller. Before he even knew it he couldn't get out of bed without Crystal. She had him by the balls. His family were worried. His friends avoided him.
                          
It all came to a head when the police showed up at his work. He was arrested in front of everyone. Colleagues, customers, the Store Manager was even there. He was granted bail but his life had spiralled out of control. Regular drug testing was a part of his bail conditions and life without Crystal made him sick and miserable but he managed to stay clean because he was terrified of prison. Eventually his trial came. His family hired him a good lawyer, sat in the gallery, gave strong references. It wasn't enough.
                          
"Yoon Jeonghan you have been found guilty on 92 counts of theft by deception. In regard to sentencing, I understand that white collar crimes are generally considered 'victimless' however I do not agree. Every single count is a theft. Your victims have been betrayed, they have been left out of pocket or in lengthy claims with banks and insurance companies. All to feed a drug habit.
                          
I sentence you to 7 years imprisonment with a non parole period of 4 years and 8 months. In regard to suspension, I find no good reason to suspend. Your family have said they will assist you but their support wasn't enough to keep this from occurring in the first place. Let your example be a deterrent to the next person who thinks they're committing a victimless crime. The sentence of imprisonment will stand."
                          
She turned and left the room. Jeonghan didn't cry. He didn't believe it was happening. He turned to see his mother covering her face. He was hustled out of the room by two white shirted courtroom sherrifs and taken to a small cell. They searched his pockets, removing his wallet, shoes, belt and phone, and left him in there alone. This was when he cried.
                          
Prison? How the fuck was he, Yoon Jeonghan, going to survive in prison? He didn't even like to go camping! He curled up on the bare bed and tried to sleep to pass the time. He had no idea if he had been in there for two hours or two days. Nothing made sense without a watch or clock. The first rule of prison he learned- time means both everything and nothing.
                          
He was jolted awake. Two new guards with blue shirts called his name through the trap in the door. He nodded and they handcuffed him and took him to a van. He was unceremoniously loaded into a cage, seatbelted and locked in by they blue shirted guards. There were other people in there. Jeonghan was grateful for the cage. It protected him from them. One just mumbled to himself the whole time. The other loudly announced that he wanted to smell Jeonghan's hair, among other unspeakable things, and Jeonghan wanted to crawl into a hole. He was going to die. He knew it.