Tom: Tell me about life here in prison, do you read newspapers? Do you listen to the radio? Do you watch television? Do [bad word] with people on the outside? What goes on for Charles Manson in this prison?

Manson: Well, I can feel the grass growin’ out there on the lawn and there’s a few trees that’s got some leaves on that I can feel. And I’ve been in jail all my life so I’m actually right here at home, uh how long have I been in jail? 34 years? 34 years so um..

Tom: Out of 47 you’ve been here 34.

Manson: I’ve been in jail, uh prison, uh a long time. All my life. I was raised up in here, so I understand jail so I understand myself so I can deal with that. I sit in my cell and do my number like a convict does his number. 

Tom : You like jail don’t you?

Manson: I uh, don’t dislike or like.

Tom: Let’s go back to 1967, the time you were winding up serving a term of a number of years, ten years, and written accounts indicate that you told the authorities "Don’t let me out, I can’t cope with the outside world." Do you have a recollection of that? And do you…

Manson: You’re making a desperate plea out of something, man. There’s no desperate plea out of it. I said I can’t handle the maniacs outside, let me back in.

Tom: I didn’t use the word desperate, that’s your word Charles.

Manson: Yeah, well, your inflection and your voice tones were, uh, implications there.

Tom: Well, uh, You use the word maniacs on the outside. How are you different from the maniacs on the outside, and why do you call them maniacs? Because you know something? They think you’re one.

Manson: Yeah, it would reflect. If you hold a negative up to the light, you don’t see the light you just see the negative. So I’m a reflection of your negative, there’s no doubt about that and I can handle that also. I been handling ain‘t I?.

Tom: I don’t know have you?

Manson: Well, I’ve been up and down in these [bad word] hallways, in and out of these nut wards for the last ten years. You think you can follow that act?

Tom: Don’t want to follow that act, I don’t want to get in, why do you want to get into that?

Manson: What crowd you playing for?

Tom: Huh?

Manson: I’m playing for my life. (chuckles) You’re working for money.

Tom: What does that mean, you’re playing for your life?

Manson: I’m working for my life mister. I’m not playing for money, I’m playing for keeps.

Tom: What do you mean you’re working for your life?

Manson: I’m playing for real.

Tom: What does that mean, you’re playing for real. How are you playing for your life?

Manson: Well That’s something you can’t buy. 

Tom: When you say you’re playing for your life am I to assume to you think that someday you’re going to get out of here?

Manson: (chuckles) Get out of here? Hmmm…get out of here? Where would I go now see.

Tom: What would you do if you got out of here?

Manson: If I got out of here…

Tom: What if they said, they said to you tomorrow morning “Charles, hey listen, you’re free” You could go where ever you wanna go, do whatever you wanna do. What would you do?

Manson: I’d probably go out front in the grass and sit down.