Ex-Convicts Got Traumatized By These 20 Things They Saw Inside, And Some Are Too Shocking To Digest

I don’t know about you, but I felt tormented just by reading some of these brutal tales. The truth is, we can’t even imagine what people who experience it firsthand go through. To get deeper insight into the matter, Bored Panda got in touch with Eden Lobo, a counselor and psychology professor, for an interview. 

She began by comparing prison to a massive pressure cooker. “When you lock people away in crowded, understaffed spaces and strip them of their privacy and safety, a brutal survival economy takes over. Power and violence become the ultimate currency, and prisoners often feel forced to join tight-knit groups or put up a terrifyingly tough front just to keep from becoming a target,” she explained.

Our expert believes that the threat of danger behind bars is real every single second. Prisoners’ brains enter a permanent state of high alert, called hypervigilance. She stressed that they can’t afford to show fear, sadness, or vulnerability because someone might use it against them. As per our expert, they end up completely numbing their emotions just to get through the day. 

“The tragic paradox is that the exact mental armor that keeps them safe inside prison is completely destructive once they get out. They can’t just flip a switch and turn off years of survival mode the moment the gates open. The brain gets rewired by that trauma, and the transition back to regular life is often incredibly jarring,” Prof. Lobo added.

We also conversed with our expert about the lasting trauma that inmates experience after coming out, and she called this Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS). Studies highlight that PICS is not currently a recognized psychiatric disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). 

However, the term is used by some researchers and practitioners to describe the very real psychological challenges that people who have been imprisoned may face upon reentry. Prof. Lobo narrated that even years later, a person might still find themselves pacing, refusing to sit with their back to a door in a restaurant, or jumping out of their skin at sudden noises. 

“Their body is safely out of prison, but their nervous system is still trapped in the yard,” she commented.

Prof. Lobo believes that reentering regular life also takes a massive toll on relationships. After years of forcing themselves not to feel anything, it’s difficult to suddenly be a warm, vulnerable partner or parent. According to her, many ex-inmates end up isolating themselves because the regular world feels unpredictable, loud, and overwhelming compared to the rigid structure they left behind.

“Ultimately, prison brutality doesn’t stay behind those concrete walls. It changes how a person perceives trust, safety, and human connection. Moreover, it leaves invisible scars that they carry with them into their living rooms, their jobs, and their communities for the rest of their lives,” she concluded.

Well, that definitely gave me perspective on the impact these brutal experiences can have on people. I shudder to even think about those who get wrongly accused and have to go through such ordeals without fault. Anyway, dear readers, that’s it from our end, as we leave you to go through the rest of the list. If you know any such tales, feel free to share them with us in the comments!