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and don't like you for some reason. they just target in on you, and a lot of them have been in there for 10 months, 12 months. so they're already basically, you know, all settled in. and i'm basically new. >> bernard is charged with threatening to kill and unlawful use of a firearm. for allegedly holding a bb gun pistol to his father's head. during the course of his arrest, he picked up additional charges of resisting and assault on police officers. he's pled not guilty to all and is awaiting trial. >> if i really think about the future, it really, being contained and not being able to see my family and just be way -- way overwhelming. >> adding to bernard's stress is the fact that he's housed in a maximum security unit. he says he spends most of his time in a cell and trusts no one. not even the inmate worker who used to cut his hair.
you can find examples just outside downtown, at the bergen county jail. >> he's cleared. >> while some of the men and women incarcerated here have been convicted, most are only charged with crimes and are awaiting trial and the resolution of their cases. >> this is like country club compared to my county. >> william bernard might disagree with the country club description. except for a brief stay for driving with a suspended license, this is his first extended stay in jail. bernard says his four months here have caused him panic attacks and worsened his stuttering. >> i would stutter sometimes when the anxiety level would get real high on the outside, but nothing like on a -- on a daily basis to where guys on the unit would be making fun of me because that's just, you know, the way i'm talking every day. i guess some people look at you
belligerent and began fighting with three officers as they ascended the staircase. they said bernard attempted to jump down the stairs and landed face-first before sliding down to the landing. now bernard fears if his case goes to trial, his father will testify against him. >> just unbelievably -- unbelievably heartbroken and overwhelmed that i was actually put into a situation with my father, because i love my father. i'm very family-oriented. it's just absolutely heartbreaking. >> while alcohol could have played a role in bernard's troubles, jail staff say lately they've seen another drug leading to increased arrests, heroin. >> one of the key components to heroin being very popular, the opiate pills that are normally prescribed for pain are being abused by kids who eventually turn over to heroin because it costs a lot less money on the street.
max is ten years on my charges that i have. >> there may be criminal charges filed against inmate battaglia. more than likely not because of the small amount that was coming in. and being that the -- the return address was phoney, there's no way to determine who actually sent it in. >> battaglia does not know that yet. >> if they find me guilty, i'm going to be upset because i can't risk another charge. >> instead of criminal charges, battaglia and his cellmate, who requested to remain anonymous, and each will be investigated and receive disciplinary hearings. >> how are you going to fight the case? >> my words. i'm just going to tell the truth. the first place i would look is the bunky. coming up -- >> when you moved into the cell with battaglia, are you aware of him doing that? >> battaglia's bunky speaks out and william bernard is the subject of a jailhouse rumor. >> he is a [ bleep ] snitch. >> and then the rumor leads to
had my daughter -- we just had hurricane irene. the house was wiped out. and then the house was getting fixed, done, we moved back in. six weeks later, sandy came. it was just like a one-two punch. and then i started drinking, like, real -- pretty heavy. like, i won't deny it. >> on the night of his arrest, bernard says his father accused him of stealing his keys and wallet. when bernard denied doing so, he says a heated argument ensued. >> he -- he basically said that i -- i put a gun to his head and that i was going to kill him. which wasn't true. and when they came to arrest me, i was on the second floor of my home. and when they tried take me down to handcuff me, the three officers wound up throwing me down a flight of stairs by accident. and i split my head open, and i broke my two ribs. >> according to the arresting officer's report, bernard was
>> my barber, he stabbed somebody 27 times. they wound up taking him out of the unit. then he bailed out of there and got in a fire fight with police officers and got shot seven times. my bunky before kidnapped somebody at gunpoint. was doing all types of drugs. he was doing robberies. so you just -- you don't know who you're sleeping with. >> one of the times bernard does leave his cell is to perform his duties as a unit maintenance worker. but he says even that led to trouble when another inmate got angry because bernard threw away the lid to his soup bowl. >> he came up behind me and just smacked me and smacked all the stuff out of my hands so it went all over the floor. >> because of his fear of being a snitch, bernard says he does not report his harassment to staff. and he says it was another set of problems in the free world that put him in this predicament. >> after my ex had left me, she
they going to get it. he go to his room, we say go into your room. he go into a room, he's finished. >> bernard denies being a snitch. he says frequent visits to the medical unit because of his anxiety and panic attacks have caused some inmates to suspect he's been reporting illicit activities to staff. >> i don't want to have that label follow me all the way through because a lot of these gangs and stuff, they're interconnected, so word travels. coming up -- >> there's been rumors going around about suboxone, a synthetic type of heroin, sent into the jail. >> staff must contend with yet another drug. but now -- >> how did you get this? >> they have a new source of intel. >> one hand washes the other.
>> bernard's arrest stems from an argument with his father over his father's missing keys and wallet. and now william bernard sr. has come to visit his son. >> we were best friends. you know, we would fish and camp together. we did all the repairs on the house together. so we got along, other than the alcohol. that really destroyed things. he's got an alcohol problem and he needs to address it. and obviously, in here, there's no alcohol. let's just hope he makes the best of it while he's in. he gets himself sober and gets a good base in his sobriety while he's in. >> hey, dad. >> son, how you doing? >> not -- not -- not -- not bad. i just really wanted to find out
you. they walked into the house armed. they could have shot and killed you. >> they could have. >> did you ever think of that? >> yeah, they could have. >> william bernard gets a visit from the man who had him arrested, his father. ♪ yeah that's all me. ♪ nothing and me go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin ♪ that's my new plan. ♪ nothing is everything. keep your skin clearer with skyrizi. 3 out of 4 people achieved 90% clearer skin at 4 months. of those, nearly 9 out of 10 sustained it through 1 year. and skyrizi is 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. ♪ i see nothing in a different way ♪ ♪ and it's my moment so i just gotta say ♪ ♪ nothing is everything skyrizi may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. before treatment your doctor should check you for infections and tuberculosis. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms such as fevers, sweats, chills, muscle aches or coughs, or if you plan to or recently received a vaccine.
didn't want to get out of bed. i was just depressed. just wanted, like, some type of change, you know, because like you're in here and you don't have any control over anything. and i -- basically the only control i have is my hairstyle. and so i wanted my hair cut. >> coming up -- >> i'm feeding you and you're providing a service for me. you help me. you clean my room, heat up my water in the morning, wash my dishes after i eat. >> nick battaglia and his new cellmate set up shop in general population. and william bernard acquires new ink and a busted lip.