Ryan's 1st choice for prison would pay him 12 cents an hour

Starting pay: 12 cents an hour.

Almost all of the inmates at Oxford work, said Bureau of Prisons spokesman Mike Truman. Located about 60 miles north of Madison, Oxford has two parts: a 1,053-inmate medium-security unit and a fenceless camp for about 220 minimum-security prisoners like Ryan.

For both groups, a typical day begins with a 6 a.m. wakeup and breakfast at 6:30 a.m. in a chow hall followed by the beginning of the workday at 7:30 a.m. Lunch is at 11 a.m. and work ends at 3:30 p.m.

At 4 p.m., inmates are expected to be next to their beds for a "stand-up count,'' said Truman. Dinner is at 5 p.m. Lights out is at 11:30 p.m., though the shutdown is looser for the minimum-security camp inmates.

Prisoners may read or watch TV in a common room during their down time, and classes are offered. There is also a running track and a basketball court. Showering is done in communal bathrooms.

In the medium security group, inmates usually live in one- or two-man cells. In the camp, inmates live in larger rooms with bunk beds, said Truman.

Visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays. The humiliation and loneliness can be tough to take. "Mail time could be devastating," former Ald. Ambrosio Medrano recalled in 1998.