Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office jail in Michigan, early 2000s

Compared to prisons, jails are more liminal spaces. They house three types of prisoners: those who are arrested and awaiting a plea bargain, trial, or sentence; those who are convicted of a misdemeanor (usually serving a sentence less than one year); and those who are awaiting transfer into prison or another facility. In the short story collection's jail cells, the inmates live spaces intended for four or six inmates that usually housed one or two extra men, with a scarcity of resources.

County, A Human Number, Sunshine, and Daytime Drama all take place in this environment. Reflecting this setting, theses stories often include more characters and less access to resources, like medication, compared to prison. The conflicts surround the transitional nature of this setting, as well. For example, in County, the character Tom hung himself to expedite his transfer to...