So what's it like being in Solitary Confinement?
A tiny hole for light from the sky. A bowl in the ground for fecies. Meals once a day through a slot.
I was fascinated at the opportunity and jumped into the cell and closed the door on myself as quickly as possible. The heavy door creaked like a dungeon door from a video game. WHen it closed the iron on iron contact made a loud clank. Looked at the lock just to make sure there was no self locking mechanism or something that could trap myself in there......
I've never had claustrophobia in my life, but closing the door on myself to experience the feeling of isolation, was cool for about 5 seconds.....then, after about 20 seconds I couldn't stand it. The Wide Angle lens I was using seems to give it an impression of room, except there really wasn't any. The tiny little room was already starting to affect me. No heat in the winter months and hot summers.
I can easily see how being locked up here for weeks, even months, was enough to make men insane, and suicidal. A few criminals committed suicide because they couldn't take the loneliness. They kept some of the worst and violent criminals in here, especially ones that had attacked or killed other inmates.
20seconds and I had to get out... and after I pushed out the door frantically (even though there is no lock obviously, my brain couldn't process that, it just paranoid that the cell was locked or something) I immediately stepped out blinking into the sunlight and was almost panting. I had lost my breath.