One part of prison that Bob particularly disliked was the fact that his hands became hard and callused, a result of all the heavy labour he was forced to do.
Of course, there were far worse things about life in prison: the inedible food, the cramped and uncomfortable accommodations, the mouldy showers, the poor choices of books in the prison library, the company he was forced to keep, and the violence. Especially the violence. The sources of brutality varied. Sometimes it came from guards who liked to abuse their power, and sometimes it came from inmates who had actually succeeded in committing a murder.
It wasn't merely Cecil's betrayal at the dam that caused Bob to slip back into his old ways. Prison was a rough place, and you couldn't survive it by being nice or refined. A man could only take so many beatings before he reached a breaking point. There were times when Bob deliberately attacked his tormentors to get put into solitary confinement. That was the only way he could be in peace, if just for a little while.
Even though Bob's sentence for the attempted murder of Krusty had been commuted from execution to life in prison, it was a cruel imitation of mercy. Bob was still stuck in a dark room, kept in chains, and forced to listen to the mad ramblings of other prisoners. Bob could hardly believe he was considered the most insane of this lot. At least Bob could speak coherently, unlike some of these other lunatics.
Bob tried to numb himself from going mad as a result of this isolation, but it didn't quite work. He didn't have anything to read and distract him from hateful thoughts, and he couldn't exercise. No gymnasium here, and no work. The chains hurt, and so did the hard chair. During Bob's other sentences, he'd wanted to be alone, away from all of the chaos and brutality. Well, he had finally gotten his wish, but there was nothing to stimulate his restless mind. He wasn't even allowed to have any books. Staying sane was harder than ever. He needed something to happen.
No sooner had Bob thought that did he hear a voice outside his door: Chief Wiggum. After that oaf failed to open the door the first time, Bob heard him say, "Fine, I gotta use a fork."
The door opened, and who did Bob see but the shocked little face of Bart Simpson. He couldn't resist making a mad grin.