It was an ordinary day when I was arrested in Texas for a minor offense. The arrest was a humiliating experience, but I hoped everything would work out quickly. However, something went wrong during my intake at the County Jail. An administrative staff member accidentally stamped “Maximum Security Prisoner” on my file card. A tiny mistake that would change my life forever.
I felt the effects of this mistake right from the start. The guards treated me with extreme caution and harshness, as if I were a serious criminal. I was immediately taken to solitary confinement, isolated from the other prisoners. The cell was small, cold and dark, a place where time seemed to stand still.
My day consisted of a monotonous routine. I spent hours staring at the bare walls or listening to the rattling of keys as the guards passed by. I was rarely allowed to see the light of the sun, and even then I was accompanied by several guards who kept a tight grip on me, as if I could escape at any time.
The other inmates avoided me. Rumors spread quickly through the prison hierarchy, and my status as a “maximum security prisoner” made me an outsider. No one wanted to mess with a supposed felon, so I spent my days in complete isolation, both physically and emotionally.
I kept trying to report the mistake. Every time I approached a guard about it, I was ignored or brushed off. The bureaucracy of the prison system was relentless, and no one seemed willing or able to review my case. Letters to my lawyer went unanswered, and my pleas for a hearing went unheard.
Months passed and my hopes faded. The isolation and constant harsh treatment took their toll. My health deteriorated and the mental strain became unbearable. I became increasingly apathetic and lost faith in fair treatment.
Eventually my time in prison came to an end, but the scars remained. I left prison a broken man, deeply marked by the months I had spent as an innocent felon. The mistake was never corrected, and I was forever scarred by the brutal experience that had befallen me. The world outside had moved on, but nothing was the same for me.