Quote by Raymond Chandler

In jail a man has no personality. He is a minor disposal problem and a few entries on reports. Nobody cares who loves or hates him, what he looks like, what he did with his life. Nobody reacts to him unless he gives trouble. Nobody abuses him. All that is asked of him is that he go quietly to the right cell and remain quiet when he gets there. There is nothing to fight against, nothing to be mad at. The jailers are quiet men without animosity or sadism. All this stuff you read about men yelling and screaming, beating against the bars, running spoons along them, guards rushing in with clubs -- all that is for the big house. A good jail is one of the quietest places in the world. Life in jail is in suspension.

Summary

This quote highlights the bleak existence and loss of individuality experienced by inmates in jail. In contrast to the chaos and violence often portrayed in media, the author presents jail as a place where a person becomes practically unseen and unheard. The inmates' personalities are reduced to mere statistics, and their appearance, actions, and emotions hold no significance to those overseeing their confinement. In the absence of external stimuli to rebel against, life in jail becomes stagnant and suspended, with silence prevailing over external disturbances.