Prisoner Reveals The 20 Things They Missed Most Being Behind Bars
By Nick Hadji
8 months ago
1. Milestones of their loved ones
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A prisoner revealed that one of the hardest things and one of the things they missed the most was not being able to share the milestones with loved ones. They weren't there to see their children take their first steps or to share birthdays with their relatives.Original content sourced from Femanin.com2. Being able to eat what they want!
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Food is a huge part of life and daily experiences and most of us are planning our next meal and what we would like to eat as soon as we finish the last one. A prisoner talked about how having similar meals day in and day out from the canteen made them dream about what they would love to be eating instead.3. The feeling of grass beneath their feet
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One prisoner reflected on being inside and how he felt completely trapped. He dreamt of feeling the grass beneath his toes, the smell of fresh air, and feeling freedom around him. What was evident was how much prisoners missed the simple things and pleasures that we usually take for granted.4. The presence of loved ones
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One prisoner inside prison for many years revealed that the most missed thing was family and loved ones. They expressed how being inside with no capacity to see them would make them ache with longing to be able to be with them and feel the presence of their loved ones.5. Home comforts
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If we think about it and take a look at ourselves, we are creatures of comfort. A prisoner who had been in jail revealed that when these home comforts are taken away, you desperately want them. When you're lying in the cold hard cell all you want is the comforts of home.6. Independence and being able to go where they want
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One ex-prisoner revealed that the thing they missed the most of all was independence. In prison, you have no ability to go where you want when you want because you have zero independence. From someone who has lived on the outside to then go to prison, they found the sheer contrast hard to deal with.7. Physical touch
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Humans crave physical touch. As social creatures, we want to be loved and feel loved and close to other human beings and so physical touch is super important. Inside there is no physical contact aside from guards moving prisoners around and so this was amongst the top things that prisoners missed the most.8. Being able to do things when they want
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One thing we all take for granted is the fact that we do things as we choose. According to a prisoner, adjusting to life inside when this right has been taken away is something that is missed in huge amounts. Not being able to go out for a run, not being able to go and see their friends...9. Meaningful conversations
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In prison, prisoners don't have too many opportunities actually have deep or meaningful conversations. Aside from cell mates and canteen visits, there are only a few people that prisoners get to converse with. Even phone calls or visits from loved ones are too short to have real meaningful conversations.10. Having hobbies
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An ex-prisoner talked about how much they missed their hobbies. Because apart from classes in prison, there are no opportunities to explore hobbies and on the outside our free time is spent doing something we love. But, according to an ex-prisoner their free time is spent daydreaming about the outside.11. The sounds of laughter
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This is something that one woman who had been inside missed, the sounds of happy everyday life; children playing, people laughing, all of the things you hear day to day that subconsciously bring you joy. She missed hearing people laugh after years of only hearing the austere sounds of jail.12. Being able to use a cell phone or the internet
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Just picture having your phone taken off you, not just for a day, but for the foreseeable future which could be years. Our phones are how we connect to people. You can't see everyone every day but you can send a text. But for prisoners, they can't just log on to social media, they are out of touch with everybody.13. The love of their pets
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Prisoners who had been inside talked about being separated from their pets and how hard it was. The relationship between a pet and its owner is inexplicable, and to be separated they described was painful, partially because they could not explain why and so they felt as though they had abandoned their pet.14. Making a choice or decision
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We make thousands of choices every single day, be it whether we hit the snooze alarm, what we have for lunch, or what we choose to wear. But for a prisoner, there are no choices at all and it is something that is missed a lot when prisoners are inside.15. Privacy and personal space
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Another prisoner discussed missing his privacy. He struggled with not having any time alone and not even being able to shower with privacy. He missed being able to have his own personal space which is free from anybody else checking on him or being near.16. Knowing what is happening on the outside
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We are now constantly exposed to everything that's going on in the world, whether it's happening around the corner or happening on the other side of the world. For a prisoner, they miss this connection with the world because they have no idea what is happening on the outside and it feels as though the world is moving on without them.17. Looking forward to different events
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Another thing that was highly missed by prisoners was looking forward to pretty much anything, whether that be an event or something as simple as what movie to watch at the weekend. The lack of variation and the repetition day in and day out were what some prisoners hated the most.18. Romance and intimacy
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It's a natural thing for humans to want romance and intimacy as it is programmed into us to find a partner. Some prisoners struggled with being parted from their loved one and others missed not being able to find a romantic partner as well as having no intimacy.19. Laughing with their friends
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One of the things that prisoners all had in common was the fact that they missed laughing with their friends dearly. It ranked as one of the most missed things among prisoners. They wished to spend quality time together mucking around and just simply having fun.20. The comfort of their own bed
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There is no bed quite like your own, ever. No matter where you go it's always nice to get back in your own bed and this is exactly what prisoners missed. Getting into your own bed rather than the hard plastic mattress they have and falling comfortably to sleep.21. Going shopping and browsing the shelves
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In one prisoner's words, it may sound extremely boring and simple to somebody on the outside, but when you're inside you have an urge to be able to do something as mundane as go to the grocery store and browse the shelved and actually be able to choose and buy whatever you would like.22. Driving a car!
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Driving a car for one prisoner is more than the action of driving, it's everything that comes with it; the freedom, the independence, being able to just get into your car and just drive to a destination of your choice and at a time entirely of you choice!23. A feeling of safety and security
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One prisoner said that that what they missed the most was the basic feeling of feeling safe. He explained that in prison you are constantly on guard and your body is naturally in flight or fight survival mode. There is no feeling of safety of security.24. Going on vacation
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Being inside and going on vacation are two worlds apart from one another, and so when you're stuck inside a cell, prisoners found themselves fantasizing about going on vacation and feeling all the kinds of emotions that a vacation brings, excitement, joy, relaxation.25. Having a career
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From a prisoner's perspective being inside prison made them miss having a career or some kind of responsibility and an opportunity to make money. They also feared that back in the outside world they would not get this opportunity again, and so they missed it massively.26. Having space
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Space is a luxury that prisoners do not have and many prisoners miss it because their cells are so small and when they are allowed free time it is within set boundaries. There are no places to roam, and no spaces where they cannot see the barricaded sides waiting for them in case they attempt to escape.27. Being able to have things and personal belongings
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One woman who had been inside for 4 years talked about how much she had missed her things and actually being able to have her material belongings with her. She said that although it sounded silly to miss things, you get to the point where you miss seeing and having your own possessions around you.28. Expressing yourself
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There are uniforms, a set schedule, no choice in meals, a rigid structure and you're counted by numbers. There are not many places in the world in which you are less able to express yourself than in prison. One ex-prisoner felt that his identity had been stripped and he yearned to express himself.29. The natural world
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Nature is what one prisoner missed and craved inside. He talked about the prison setting and how it couldn't be further from the natural world. All he wanted to do was to walk outside and smell the air, feel the rain on his face, and actually witness the natural world again.30. Grabbing a coffee at the local café
