The level of restrictions is dependent on the facility's ability to separate patients who are a danger to themselves or others from those who aren't. If they cannot place them on different units, then they have to apply restrictions based on the safety concerns for patients who might use items to cause harm.

The hospital I use, at this point, does not have the ability to separate patients, so it is fairly restrictive. I wouldn't AT ALL characterize it as anywhere near as bad as being in prison though. Pens are not allowed. I hate that because I am a writer, but I understand it having actually seen a patient stab herself with a pen before that restriction became a rule. What they do now for patients that want to journal with a pen is provide a few times a day where a place is provided with some supervision where patients can use pens and then turn them back in. Any item containing alcohol is not allowed because desparate patients will ingest anything they can get their hands on with alcohol. Obviously anything glass, hard plastics that can be broken and used to cut, belts and shoelaces, etc. It isn't that horrible, certainly not prison horrible.