Council members approved a resolution recognizing “post traumatic prison disorder,” which describes the mental health issues that can come from imprisonment, according to a copy of the resolution. The disorder is not formally recognized in diagnostic manuals, but describes the hurdles and symptoms, including anxiety and depression, that people re-entering society after incarceration may experience.
“This resolution just says that the City Council and city of Detroit strongly supports policies that provide comprehensive services to those formerly incarcerated through trauma-focused therapy, stable housing and social support, substance abuse treatment and re-entry programs,” Detroit City Council Member Denzel McCampbell said.
Several speakers, including those who had been incarcerated, voiced their support for the resolution during public comment.
“The prison sentences may end. The trauma often does not. Families carry it, communities absorb it and generations are impacted by it,” said Shawanna Vaughn, of Silent Cry Inc., a New York-based nonprofit supporting families and children affected by mass incarceration, violence and trauma. Mental health, she said, is not a privilege but a human right no matter where a person is.
Many returning citizens leave correctional environments with “deep psychological wounds,” and it has a ripple effect on children and the human mind, said Jacqueline Robinson, of the Peoples Action, who works with people impacted by incarceration. The resolution alone won’t solve the problem, but “acknowledgement matters” because naming an issue creates room for policy and programming, she said.
Detroiter Yusef Qualls, 47, became a “juvenile lifer” at 16 years old for a double murder he was involved in, according to a Michigan Public report, and spent 28 years incarcerated, he told council members on Tuesday. He said he was unarmed.
Since he’s been home, he tried to get counseling a few times, but he felt as though no one could understand what he went through, he said.
He was incarcerated during the COVID-19 pandemic and when his mother died, he said. Qualls marked his third anniversary of re-entering society this week but he’s still dealing with the trauma he faced while imprisoned. He finds himself overly protective of his space, for instance.
“It doesn’t go away because you come home,” he said.
This is a great resolution. Our society continues to incarcerate people even after they go home. The lack of support, the lack of housing and job opportunities keep people “imprisoned”, and unable to fully heal and participate in society.
If we had a just system, returning citizens’ records would be sealed or expunged. They would also receive appropriate support.
I was incarcerated for over 18 years for a drug conviction and my sentence was commuted by Gov Whitmer in 2022 with the advocacy of Rick “White Boy Rick” Wershe. I was very active in prison as a legal aide, youth mentor and domestic violence peer advocate. The biggest issue I have observed and experienced was most of the resources are allocated and distributed for males. I jokingly say “they get more money and attention because they commit most of the crime”. I guess women need to do worse (sarcasm). Nonetheless, I would like to speak with you further about the different approaches to reentry that fits the needs of women specifically. Reentry and incarceration look very different in a men’s vs women’s risen and its important to make the distinction so we can provide in an impactful way. An example I saw was women often paroled back to domestic violent households because of no where to parole but back to abusers. Mental Health paroles present additional difficulties for women because there are no agencies or providers who work with women. One of the prisoners who recently passed away had a parole several times but no mental health placement.