Prisons were places where prisoners lost a part of their freedom and sometimes also health or even life. If they returned to normal life, re-socialization was not the worst problem.
For many of them, it was challenging to find a way how to live on despite permanent health issues that led to decreased workability or even invalidity. In infectious illnesses like tuberculosis or typhoid fever, a released prisoner acted as a source of infection for their relatives, possibly causing worst health issues than he underwent himself.
The cruel reality of historical penology can be demonstrated through death registries of two prisons of Prague - St. Wenceslas' Prison and Pankrác Prison.