The thing is, prison has a lot of variances. A life sentence in prison has him in the darkest prison world.
Martin Shkreli was in the easiest parts of prison for example. Ross is in the lifer prison with the hardest criminals.
It's said he's struggling a lot because you have to join the racist white groups in lifer prison, and his morals don't allow that. But you have to, or you have no protection, and may get killed.
The US prison system is a far scarier place than anyone thinks about. You essentially have to stay blind to what happens inside, or you couldn't with good conscious send anyone there.