SIGHTS
Iron bars shiny in places where hands have gripped them, cement walls, furniture that is firmly fastened to the wall or floor, single or bunk beds, a metal locker, a desk and chair, a barred window, thin mattresses and pillows, old sheets, rough blankets, a toilet and sink, stuff written on or carved into the walls, a painted cement floor that is worn in places (from pacing, pushups, etc.), prison-issue clothing and shoes, a few toiletries (toothpaste, a comb, soap), a lightbulb with a cage surrounding it, a reading table, books or magazines, photos taped to the walls, contraband hidden out of sight (cigarettes, drugs, bladed weapons, money, syringes, electronics, lighters, food, cutting tools), inmates (pacing, reading, sleeping, staring at the wall, doing sit-ups and push-ups, writing letters), the underside of the bunk above one’s mattress with photos tucked into the springs
SOUNDS
Footsteps echoing along the walkways, coughing, an inmate whispering to his neighbor, whistling and humming, swearing, inmates muttering to themselves, shoes squeaking or shuffling, pages turning, water turning on and off, toilets flushing, grunting or panting while one exercises, mattresses squeaking, guards speaking to or yelling at the inmates, door buzzers going off, an iron door swinging open, mechanical doors sliding shut, locks mechanically opening or closing, voices coming over loudspeakers, sirens sounding, riots or fights breaking out, the jingle of chain from handcuffs and leg irons, the methodical sound of footsteps pacing the length of a cell
SMELLS
Sweat, metal, mildew, cleaning products, soap, air conditioning, food cooking in the mess hall, dust, dirt
TASTES
Water, contraband items, approved items purchased through the prison confectionery (cookies, chips, instant coffee, chocolate), strict meals from the mess hall
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
Cold metal bars and stainless steel sinks, a pitted concrete wall with gouged spots or messages scratched into it, a saggy mattress with no back support, springs digging into one’s back, lumpy pillows, scratchy blankets, pilled sheets rubbing at one’s skin, running a finger over a loved one’s face in a photo, slick magazine pages, a pen held tightly in one’s fingers while writing a letter, bruising and muscle soreness from a run-in with an inmate or guard, a hard concrete floor, sweat dripping down one’s face while exercising in the cell, sunlight coming through a high window, the chafe of handcuffs or ankle cuffs, uncomfortable shoes rubbing at one’s feet, pants that are constantly falling down and having to be yanked up or cinched tighter, one’s forehead pressing against the cold metal bars
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
Confrontations with inmates and guards
Despair and thoughts of suicide
Boredom
Prejudicial guards who decide to make an inmate’s life difficult
Being assigned a difficult roommate (one who snores or talks incessantly, makes unappreciated advances, is violent, is a snitch, has disgusting habits)
A guard or roommate finding one’s contraband stash
Being afraid to leave one’s cell for fear of violence or retribution from another inmate
A broken toilet
Overcrowding
Getting caught up in a prison riot
Meeting an inmate who one truly believes to be innocent
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
Guards, inmates, officials on tour
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Ambulance, courtroom, police car, psychiatric ward, therapist’s office
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Prisons have changed quite a bit over the years, making it difficult to identify a standard for this setting. Modern prisons have solid walls and doors instead of the age-old iron bars, and stainless steel furniture has replaced porcelain commodities. Doors are largely mechanized, opening and closing with a buzzer and the press of a button, making jingling keys a thing of the past. However, modernization is costly; while some prisons are updated, others retain the accoutrements of the past or contain a mixture of the two. The type of prison will also determine what may be found in its cells. Maximum security cells house individuals rather than pairs of inmates and may have only the bare essentials in regards to furniture.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
A guard stood to the side of the door waiting as I glanced one last time at the barren walls that had housed me for seven years. The room was straightened—toothpaste scum washed down the cracked sink, table cleared off, bed neatly made. I didn’t need to do those things, but habits are hard to break. In my hands, I carried three items: a copy of Orwell’s 1984, a photo of my wife and kid, and my toothbrush. Maybe it was stupid to bring the toothbrush, but I didn’t want to leave anything personal in this place. I turned my back on the room and followed the guard into the maze of hallways and gates that would lead me outside to where my family waited. A strange feeling swelled in my chest, something absent so long I almost didn’t recognize it:
hope.
Techniques and Devices Used: Metaphor, symbolism
Resulting Effects: Characterization, reinforcing emotion