The holding cell is actually worse in some cases. Here, it’s a concrete box that you can’t leave until you go to court or get transferred to jail. You get shit for food, banana for breakfast, pbj for lunch, etc. At least at the local jail, you get rec time, TV, and subjectively better meals. I caught a 4 day weekend in a holding cell with 3 of them without anther person. That really starts to eat away at you as it’s essentially short term solitary confinement.
Just to add, that’s 3 days solitary for not even being convicted of shoplifting. The charge was dropped for other reasons.
The guards don't give a crap about you, and you're bored out of your mind. You end up pacing endlessly.