The prisoner MARICA is sitting on the floor in her cell, talking to a friend using a contraband mobile phone, and wearing a pair of wool socks she bought from a smuggler.
MARICA talks to a confidant in Japanese about prison life, prison routines and how dissatisfied she is with not being provided shoes or socks. Then tells her friend how she was able to acquire a pair of illegal socks from a smuggler inside the prison.
While they’re talking, the prisoner hears a guard approach, and hurriedly hangs up the phone, removes her socks, and hides them under/inside the bed/mattress of the bedding and messes up the bedding. She then takes out a book and starts reading, before the guard comes in.
CASEY the guard enters
CASEY
How are you? There is going to be a cell search today. We pick random cells to inspect every day. Yours is the one we’ve decided on. Is there any contraband? If there is, you must tell me immediately. If you don’t say anything, the punishment will be more severe.
MARICA
There is no contraband in the room.
The search begins:
CASEY
Stand up and come over here and face me.
Pats her down
CASEY
Turn around and face the wall, and put your hands on it.
Pats her down from behind, checks her hair, mouth and ears. Checks the bottom of her feet.
CASEY
Lift up one foot at a time and spread your toes.
Checks each foot carefully.
CASEY
Put your hands behind your back.
Handcuffs her behind her back.
CASEY
Stand in the corner, face the and do not turn your head around while the search is ongoing.
Casey proceeds to search the cell but is unable to find anything.
CASEY
Your bed was unmade. That is an infraction. You are going to be punished.
Still facing the wall, the guard lifts her left foot up from behind.
CASEY
Flex it.
She is then given 2-3 strokes with the riding crop (Doesn’t have to be hard), and the same procedure is repeated with the right foot.
CASEY
Make your bed properly.
MARICA looks very nervous.
CASEY notices she’s nervous and becomes suspicious and decides to check the bed/mattress extra carefully and discovers the hidden socks.
CASEY
Sit down. Tell me about the socks.
MARICA
The floor is so cold. I feel completely humiliated.
CASEY
(mildly) You as a prisoner, are not supposed to have any socks. This is a clear violation of the prison uniform policy. As long as you are incarcerated, you will be barefoot like everyone else.
She continues to search and comes across a folded, printed image of a naked girl.
CASEY
(sternly) What is this? Now this is a serious infraction.
She searches more carefully and finds the phone.
CASEY
(very sternly) Now this is serious. Very very serious.
CASEY
The guard cuffs her hands behind her back and takes the prisoner away to see the Warden.
Scene 2. Meeting the Warden – interior Warden’s Office
SHOT FROM WARDEN’S POV
CASEY escorts MARICA into the room, hands cuffed behind her back.
WARDEN (off camera voice)
To Marica
Hi.
To CASEY
Please take her handcuffs off
WARDEN
Marica, have a seat. Tell me about the socks. Why did you break the uniform regulation?
MARICA
The cell is too cold.
WARDEN
I understand that it is uncomfortable, but you will just have to get used to it. Not wearing socks is humbling. They are a luxury and not a necessity. You will come to understand that prison is not a vacation. You’ve taken your freedom for granted and must learn your lesson.
Tell me about the mobile phone. Where did you get it?
MARICA refuses to answer, fearing reprisals from the smuggler. After getting nowhere with the interrogation, the Warden decides on a punishment for the prisoner:
WARDEN
I’ve decided your punishment will be 30 strokes of the cane to the bottom of her feet + a sentence extension of 4 months.
MARICA
Panicking , she apologies over and over again. I won’t repeat it. I will give up the name of the smuggler.
WARDEN
It’s too late. Guard, take her to the punishment room.
CASEY
Kneel down on the bench. Put Your hands behind your head with your fingers interlocked.
MARICA kneels and is scared of the prospect of punishment, moving her feet around nervously while kneeling on the bench.
CASEY
Relax. Keep your feet still.
She shackles Marica’s feet. Then she fastens a transport chain around her waist, with a loop in the middle for the handcuffs. She puts the handcuffs through the loop.
CASEY
Keep your hands on your head. Stand up and face me.
She then takes the prisoners hands down from her head and cuffs her hands in front. She’s then taken out of the room.
Scene 3. Punishment Room.
The prisoner is brought into the room, unshackled and uncuffed.
CASEY
Lie down on the table.
She is strapped down on the table, on her stomach and then cuffed behind her back again. Before the punishment begins, the guard washes the soles of her feet with a wet towel as preparation. During the punishment, MARICA sometimes refuses to keep her feet flat and try to cross them to avoid punishment.
The punishment begins.
CASEY
(frustrated – after the 7th stroke) Keep your feet flat and present them nicely.
After she has straightened them back out, the punishment is resumed.
CASEY
(frustrated – after the 18th stroke)
I told you to keep your feet flat and present them nicely.
After she has straightened them back out, the punishment is finished. Once done, the prisoner is released from her bonds.
CASEY
Stand up.
She is then shackled again, hands cuffed in front, tubes put on.
CASEY
This is an additional security measure to prevent you from obtaining more contraband. You’ll have to wear them whenever you are outside of your cell for the foreseeable future.
She is then escorted out of the room.
