Although NJ wasn't my first or last institution it was surely one of the nastiest. There were two shower stalls that served my ward. The tile was a baby poop yellow with a constant film of scum covering it. They were small, without shelves to hold hygiene items, and had curtains made of a heavy rubber that only covered half the doorway when stretched to their fullest.
At some point in every shower I knew my skin was going to brush up against a wall. I knew I would jump, as if my skin pressed against hot iron. I knew the water would be cold after only one minute.....if I was lucky. I knew the shampoo they supplied would not lather or wash out clean. I knew there would be at least an inch of standing water covering the entire bathroom floor. I knew the towel would smell of oil and be rough on my skin...I knew all this and so much more and I still stood in a line to take one whenever I was allowed...feeling privileged.