Understanding PTSD Following Incarceration:

A Deep Dive into the Impact and Support Systems

Photo by Carles Rabada on Unsplash

“The experience of being locked in a cage has a psychological effect upon everyone made to endure it. No one leaves unscarred.” (DeVaux, 2013)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can occur after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events. While often associated with military combat or violent crimes, PTSD can also affect individuals who have been incarcerated. The experience of incarceration can be traumatic for many, leading to the development of PTSD symptoms that persist long after release.

My late husband, Daniel, was incarcerated for 4 and 1/2 years in a maximum security prison, one of the oldest in the Massachusetts system, MCI Cedar Junction - Walpole, later being moved to MCI Concord. He was in his late teens when he started his jail sentence - sent to the “big house” - with lifelong criminals and murderers. The trauma and events that he relayed to me, likely just the tip of the iceberg, were terrifying and heartbreaking. He shared with me the concept of - “jail face.” - Jail face is the blank, empty face that presented with dark black eyes, almost demon-like, with Daniel; it is the trance, the face of an individual who has disassociated as a result of an episode of PTSD. Understanding how PTSD manifests, mainly through concepts like “jail face,” is crucial for developing appropriate community support systems for those affected.

The Kalief Browder Story is a documentary that follows the story of  Kalief Browder, who was 16 years old when he was falsely accused and arrested for stealing a backpack. He was sent to Rikers Island, where he was frequently beaten and put in solitary confinement for the majority of the three (3) years he spent in jail. He struggled immensely after being released due to the trauma he faced while being incarcerated, and at the age of 22, he committed suicide. 

His story highlights the trauma inmates face in prison. Kalief described the impact that incarceration has on everyone who faces it and the lack of support given to him while he was incarcerated once he became an activist. Prison can cause long-lasting mental health issues, and often, these issues are not treated while in prison, making the adjustment back into the community more difficult.

During Browder's time at Rikers Island, he experienced a severe mental health decline, and despite begging prison officials for help and treatment, his pleas were ignored. Even though treatment for him could have been life-saving, he was denied help multiple times, causing his suffering to worsen. Kalief spent 700 days in solitary confinement, which accelerated the rapid decline of his mental health. Those in solitary confinement typically spend 22–24 hrs of isolation with approximately 1 hr allotted for exercise or showering each day; some facilities only allow shower time three to 4 days a week. As social creatures, this isolation can have severely detrimental impacts on inmates and their mental health. A study from 2001 looking at the effect that solitary confinement (SC) has on mental health found that the “Incidence of psychiatric disorders developed in prison was significantly higher in SC prisoners (28%) than in non-SC prisoners (15%). Most disorders were adjustment disorders, with depressive disorders coming next” (Anderson et al., 2001). They found stress to be a significant contributing factor, and often, prisoners in solitary confinement experience extreme levels of stress in isolation. The research further stated that prisoners in solitary confinement often “experience a myriad of mental health concerns and symptoms, including appetite and sleep disturbance, anxiety (including panic), depression and hopelessness, irritability, anger and rage, lethargy, psychosis, cognitive rumination, cognitive impairment, social withdrawal, and suicidal ideation and self-injurious behaviors.” Implementing trauma-informed care in our prison systems could be beneficial because all staff can play a significant role in minimizing triggers, stabilizing offenders, reducing critical incidents, de-escalating situations, and avoiding restraint, seclusion, or other measures that may repeat aspects of past abuse as the prison setting is full of triggers that could be impacting the mental health of inmates.

Kalief also described how difficult it was for him to adjust and integrate into society post-release. He was enrolled in college before his passing, but it was something he struggled to adapt to due to the trauma that he faced during his incarceration. With trauma-informed care and better support during his transition from jail back into the community, Kalief could have had the support he needed to adjust smoothly and thrive post-release. He struggled for the remainder of his life due to the trauma and lack of support he faced during his time in jail but spent the remaining time after his release advocating for better treatment of those who were incarcerated. The trauma that Kalief Browder and my husband faced during their time in jail is something that impacted them for the rest of their lives. I watched the documentary and couldn't get out of my mind my husband's experience, where he similarly spent significant portions of his sentence in solitary.   

“people in prison may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as other psychiatric disorders, such as panic attacks, depression, and paranoia;  subsequently, these prisoners find social adjustment and social integration difficult upon release” (DeVaux, 2013)