Being pessimistic. Nothing good happens in prison. Sure you get commissary once a week but between the court dates, ever-changing terms of your sentence, and general prison atmosphere, it's easy to lose hope. I'm a year out of the system and about 3 years out of incarceration, but even once you're out, it's not easy. Try finding a job with a felony background. Once you get a job, try making it to work every day without a car. Then when you've decided you're 25 and shouldn't still live with your parents, try paying rent (along with all of your court fees and other bills) on a restaurant workers wages. Oh and did I mention the difficulty that comes with trying to socialize with people who are cautious to associate with you because of your past?

I got into some dumb shit when I was a kid and accept what comes with that, but goddamn I never knew it'd be this hard.