5. Life on Death Row
Echols described the fact that the guards he encountered kept the prisoners in a constant state of exhaustion. The lights were turned off for four hours a day, but the “doors slamming, keys hitting the floor, guards yelling at one another as if they’re at a family reunion – it all wakes you up. You can never sleep very deeply here anyway, because you have to stay aware of your surroundings. Bad things can come to those caught off guard…”
He did find a way to cope, however.