He spent 10 days in that one-man cell, never permitted to go outside. He had no contact with his family. He would tell time only by when he was fed.

"I still haven't recovered from that," Gooden said. "That was torture. It was like you're an animal. It was horrible." ...

Gooden was transferred to Gainesville on April 27, not a country club but more humane. The campus of one-story, red and white cement buildings does not look like the penitentiaries portrayed in movies other than the high barbed-wire fences surrounding it. In an unbelievable twist, it is the same prison that once housed Darryl Strawberry, Gooden's longtime teammate. ...

Gooden could be released as early as November. He is unsure what he will do when he gets out. His first priority is reconnecting with his children and repairing some of the damage he's done. Before his relapse, George Steinbrenner had spoken with Gooden about returning to his role as a special assistant with the Yankees once his probation officer said it was OK. After his latest embarrassment, Gooden said he would not even ask Steinbrenner for a job.

"I respect him too much to go back to him and ask for a job after all this stuff has gone on," he said.