Formerly Incarcerated People Shared What It's Like To Readjust To Society After Prison

Formerly incarcerated people often say that prison follows you long after you’ve left. It’s an ecosystem predicated on survival, and the more time one serves, the more deeply ingrained the prison social construct becomes. Once released, formerly incarcerated people experience mental health and substance abuse disorders at disproportionate rates. Often, they carry a multitude of psychological damages caused by their time incarcerated, referred to as post-traumatic prison disorder (PTPD). PTPD symptoms include distrust, emotional numbing, flashbacks, decreased self-esteem, issues with subordination, and more. In this way, their sentences are ongoing.

Photographer Annie...