I am a developer/hacker who spent 6 months in prison about a decade ago.

They had a room of old broken computers that were donated and I offered to fix them up in exchange for increased library privileges. Normally inmates could only visit the library once a week and check out two books, but I read about 4 books a day during my time there.

I fixed up the computers and supported them once they got a teacher, read my books, helped people with grammar in their appeal letters, and stayed out of trouble.

The only stress I felt was from being thrown into an environment with totally alien social structures and ways of interaction. I was a upper-middle-class white kid who had learned to talk logically out of situations, and most of my peers in prison were people who grew up in settings where the only way to solve disagreements was with intimidation or actual violence.

Once I learned that I should give a little to intimidation so the other party feels in control and powerful, but refuse to be totally controlled because the other party wouldn't risk their early release dates to beat up someone for no good reason, then I did well. It also helped to be able to pay off the local gang leader once a week with a pint of ice cream from the commissary. Protection was relatively inexpensive, all things considered.

The library was outdated, but there were enough books on physics for me to refresh my understanding and my friends and family ordered books for delivery for me on a regular basis. I discovered a life-long love of Mark Twain, especially the book he wrote about Joan of Arc.

6 Months seemed to crawl by and was full of home-sickness. Then, all of a sudden, it was over. After that, the world seemed a lot more magical for a few months. Everything was brighter and more colorful than I remembered. There was such joy in being able to listen to a CD or eat chinese food.

All in all, it wasn't a terrible experience. It was very interesting sociologically and a good experience for me to see how a different ecosystem worked. I also got to eat a balanced diet and exercised. I was in marvelous shape back then. I wouldn't recommend it or anything, but if you go with the right mentality, you can make the most of it.

The obvious downside is that prison sticks to you for the rest of your life. It takes several months to stop walking without your hands behind your back or saying "Sir" all the time. Also, the stigma of having a criminal record sticks to you forever. Even now, in my middle 30's, it's nearly impossible for me to get a tech job even though my felonious history was from when I was a teenager. You pretty much have to resign yourself to the fact that you'll work at 50% of the salary as your peers or have to make your own future by starting your own companies and projects.