About 15 years ago I did 6 months for drunk driving and the jail was hell. I jumped at a chance to be a trustee and worked at a community center away from the jail for 12 hours a day.
Guys that were in the jail on a parole hold pretty much all wanted to go back to prison because the jail was so much worse. They said that the county jail was hard time compared to being in prison.
I have a brother who has been in IL prison since 1988. I am not arguing as to your jail experience, but I can testify to the fact that IL prison is no cake walk.