Grace has committed a crime. She was convicted of being too sick to live in the outside world and her sentence is a week-long confinement in a medium-security facility. I was sentenced as the co-conspirator. We are forced to live in a small room with one bed, trapped like animals and fed terrible food. Our only hope is parole or a sentence reduction for good behavior.

Today, after four and a half days in the hospital, one overzealous nurse took us from regular population prison and put us in segregation. Gracie was put on infection precautions because the last time she was hospitalized it was for MRSA and hospital policy requires three clean visits before the precautions can be lifted. Even though we’ve been wandering the hallways, getting water and juice and coffee from the nourishment stations, and playing in the playroom for the past four days, the precautions were added today, so now that relative freedom is a thing of the past. We are confined to our room. We are not allowed to use the nourishment stations, the playroom, or any other common areas. We are trapped—trapped, trapped, trapped like animals.

We have presented our case for discharge to the highly credentialed parole board. If Gracie responds well to oral antibiotics, we could be released tomorrow. If she does not, we will remain in segregation until further notice, losing all track of time and losing all sanity. Our fate is in their hands.