Bosta journeys are carried out at the hands of an Israeli unit called the Nahshon, whose members are known for their strong physiques, gruffness and apparent desire to humiliate the prisoners in their care. The women must endure sitting on a cold, narrow metal seat for 12 or more hours at a time, resulting in chronic back pain for many.
For prisoners from Damon, the prelude to the bosta journey typically begins at around 8am on the day before court. Women are led out to waiting rooms to be searched - either a routine frisking or a full-body strip search, depending on the mood of the Nahshon. The strip search is the ultimate abuse, an infringement on the sanctity of any human being.
The bosta generally departs at around 9.30am from Damon prison and heads towards a central station where all prisoners from the northern district are gathered. During this time, prisoners might have to wait a further four or five hours inside the bosta, where they sit shackled in tiny, individual metal cages. No concessions or exceptions are made for the sick or wounded
.In addition to the physical distress, this gruelling journey affects women’s mental health, both through the humiliation inflicted upon them by the Nahshon and through racist slurs hurled by Jewish Israeli detainees aboard the bosta.