The prison experience from the prisoners' perspectives: Trauma healing within the correctional setting

Childhood psychological trauma (CPT) has been identified as underlying generally accepted criminal risk factors and its role in the generation of criminal behaviours is profound. While psychological and behavioural impacts of unresolved CPT may continue throughout the lifetime, healing CPT is recognized as essential to rehabilitation and is possible throughout the lifetime. This dissertation examines the experiences of former prisoners of Canadian federal correctional institutions to gain an in-depth understanding of healing from CPT while in prison and during community re-entry, from their perspectives. A series of three in-depth interviews was held with 17 former prisoners who self-identified as having experienced CPT. Their experiences of CPT impacts prior to prison and their experiences of healing during incarceration and community re-entry were explored. Five primary results of this study emerged. (1) CPT impacts included chronic hyperarousal, automatic fight or flight responses, stress addiction and trauma-bonds. Prior to prison, men’s physical and psychological survival depended on their creation of autonomy and safety through threat-resistance, limited emotionality, revenge and violence, and a veneer of mask-ulinity. (2) In prison, inter-prisoner physical brutality extended pre-prison trauma; survival required hyper-mask-ulinity, which included maintaining a reputation of domination-violence, independence-power, limited emotionality and strategic relationship formation. (3) Correctional staff-prisoner interactions, based on a correctional culture of hyper-mask-ulinity, included domination, violence, emotional detachment and correctional officer solidarity that required physical and psychological brutality of prisoners. Prisoner survival depended on employment of resistance strategies, strategic relationship formation, and further emotional constriction. A correctional staff-prisoner Hyper-mask-ulinity Stand-off compounded CPT. (4) Peer-relationships and prisoner-created initiatives provided psychological and physical support consistent with factors of trauma healing, however these were experienced as ‘removal activities’ and constituted survival, and trauma-mitigating mechanisms. (5) Trauma-informed, gender responsive healing factors were experienced through relationships with community members, community-run initiatives, and experiences at Kwikwexwelhp Healing Lodge. Providing turning points in the life trajectory, these experiences facilitated initial stages of recovery from CPT, initiated growth, and enhanced rehabilitation. Consequential to the pervasive threatening environment few participants moved past Stage I of trauma recovery. Implementation of trauma-informed correctional care is recommended in Canadian federal prisons to facilitate CPT healing and enhance rehabilitation.