 Prisoners convicted of serious crime , such as murder , arson , burglary , rape and shooting , would begin their time on the ground floor with a time of solitary confinement . They were also forbidden from communicating with other prisoners , which was strictly enforced by the usage of a silence mask , or calico hood , when outside their cells . They would only be given a single hour of solitary exercise a day , with the remaining 23 hours spent in their cells . Inside the cells , prisoners would be able to lie on a thin mattress over the slate floors . They could only bathe and change clothes once a week , and attend the chapel on Sundays ( with a Bible provided to promote good behaviour ) . Prisoners might only have been allowed to finally socialise with other prisoners towards the end of their sentences . 
