Rod Blagojevich has spoken out about life behind bars and it seems that prison is not so golden for the former governor of Illinois.
It has been over five years since Blagojevich began his 14-year prison sentence for corruption at FCI Englewood in the Colorado foothills and for the first time since then he has broken his silence.
The disgraced former governor granted interviews with NBC 5's Phil Rogers as well as with Chicago Magazine writer David Bernstein.
Details of both interviews were released on Monday and the picture emerging is one of difficulty as Blagojevich struggles with life in the Colorado federal correctional facility.
Chicago Magazine noted that the ex-governor began his sentence in 2012 at the CI Englewood low-security facility.
Denver was experiencing its hottest summer and Blagojevich was residing with almost 100 other inmates in a dorm room.
"Extreme heat, drenched in sweat, with no air movement, scores of angry men, snoring and other bad, unpleasant sounds—I remember moaning to myself, 'How the "f" did I end up here?' " he said in the interview.
Loneliness is something that Blagojevich has had a hard time dealing with behind bars.
Speaking about his first few days in prison, Blagojevich told NBC 5, "you are yearning for your children, your wife and for home and you're looking at 14 years- you can't even see a flicker of a light at the end of the tunnel."
He elaborated on this when speaking to Chicago Magazine, stating that "the separation from your family and the loneliness that ensues is central to the challenge of enduring prison, of 'doing time.'"
He added that, while he was surrounded by other people and was rarely alone, he felt very much alone.
"All alone, except for the loneliness that never leaves you alone. It is always with you; a constant companion."
Blagojevich also recalled how inmates kept trying to steal his ID, believing that it could be sold on the inside.
The former governor would be a target of theft for months, until he was eventually transferred to an adjoining minimum-security camp.
Life improved for him since then, but he still faces challenges.
NBC 5 noted that Blagojevich only saw his wife about three times a year and was limited to about 300 minutes a month to talk to family on the phone and, although he received visits from his family, they had to endure the sadness of parting ways again.
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