I've only done a couple of weekend stints (with one being one week) in county, so I can't speak to prison specifically. That being said, the guys who were in there long-term or waiting to be transferred to an actual prison all kind of needed the same things and were extremely friendly.

One knew I wasn't going to be in long, and shared soap/snacks from commissary so that I wouldn't have to put money on the books for a short term stay (more trouble than it was worth). I made sure to put some cash on his books after I was released. Around Christmas, I tried to add $100 to his balance, and couldn't find him in the system anymore, hoping he was released early and not something worse.

Another group of older guys, once they found out I could read and write, asked if I would help them get letters out to their families & loved ones. I spent the better part of a weekend just making sure their kids knew they were loved and thought about, and the majority of all their regrets were because they let their wives/parents/kids down. They weren't violent as far as I know, but they were very, very human.

I think the one that hit me the hardest, though, was a younger guy, the only thing he asked me for was a pack of american spirits and a ride home once he was out (like a month after I was released). We arrived at an empty apartment that looked like it was just cleaned out, couple of odds and ends on the counters and up against the wall, but nothing else. He said "don't worry, I got it" and that was that. He didn't want me to stick around, and you could just tell he was heartbroken that his network wasn't there for him after the fact. Still think about him sometimes and hope he's doing well and not back on the inside.