The first two weeks were very difficult. You have to sort of mentally come to peace with the fact that you're shut in this tiny room and you can't leave. It feels very claustrophobic and if you're the type that has anxiety disorders you will probably have to ward off panic attacks.
After the first two weeks, time started to slowly speed up, and the days all sort of blurred together. Thankfully I was able to get a newspaper every day, and a book every now and then, and so I just read every word of the newspaper (even the ads) for something to do, and slept a lot.
I think I handled it better than a lot of people would have, as I'm sort of introverted by nature. There's research on solitary confinement permanently harming mental health, but I think I got lucky on that one.
Also, at least where I was, this was EVERYONE's life (no just solitary) for a year due to COVID. Only with no legal protections, all constitutional requirements waived, because, you know, emergency, and totally not just because the staff were lazy and this allowed them to do zero work.
Yes. During COVID everyone locked down to their range/tier (constitutional violation because space is so small not allowed to be permanently confined in it). Minimum laundry (constitutional violation, must keep sanitation). No chow hall all food brought to the cells. No rec time/outdoor time (constitutional violation, everyone must be allowed 1 hour of recreation time). Only let out to make phone calls during a short window that didn't necessarily line up with your family could take your call. No law library access (constitutional violation, denying access to the courts adn remember inmates challenges are time bared, you only have 14 days to challenge an illegal sentence and something like a year to challenge unconstitutional from the time of discovery, and these are jurisdictional, I.E. can not be waived). No certified mail access (constitutional violation, denying access to the courts as all motions must be mailed). No family visitation (some of the guys family relationship especially with wives and kids were holding on by a thread, they needed those visits). While it might make sense because of COVID, a year of it was very wearing.
I think that parent was describing life inside a prison, but out of solitary confinement, not life in general, this sentence of their post suggests it: "and totally not just because the staff were lazy and this allowed them to do zero work."
After the first two weeks, time started to slowly speed up, and the days all sort of blurred together. Thankfully I was able to get a newspaper every day, and a book every now and then, and so I just read every word of the newspaper (even the ads) for something to do, and slept a lot.
I think I handled it better than a lot of people would have, as I'm sort of introverted by nature. There's research on solitary confinement permanently harming mental health, but I think I got lucky on that one.