“We Were Just Like Rats”: Exploring Experiences of Jail Incarceration Among Persons With PTSD

Individuals with mental illness are disproportionately represented in the criminal legal system due to the criminalization of mental illness; however, one highly prevalent diagnosis among this population is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Experiences of incarceration in jail among individuals with PTSD are understudied, which is alarming as persons in jails have the highest rates of PTSD within the criminal legal system. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, this study aims to explore, describe, and understand the lived experiences of persons previously incarcerated in jails with PTSD. Findings from this study provide a firsthand account of the inhumane and traumatizing jail experiences persons with PTSD encounter and identify areas of the criminal legal system requiring intervention.