breaking chains mending minds

About Post-Incarceration Syndrome

UNDERSTANDING

POST- INCARCERATION SYNDROME

(PICS)

REAL PEOPLE.

REAL CHALLENGES.

REAL HEALING.

REAL CHANGE.

What is Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS)?

✽

“ Post-incarceration syndrome (PICS) is a psychiatric disorder that affects individuals who have been incarcerated and then are released back into society. It is characterized by a range of psychological, emotional, and social difficulties that can arise as a result of being imprisoned. These difficulties can include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), difficulty adjusting to life outside of prison, and difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. ”

— NATIONAL INCARCERATION ASSOCIATION

AWARENESS. UNDERSTANDING. REINTEGRATION. HOPE.

Download The PICS Explainer — the complete free guide to Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PDF)
The Five Syndromes of Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) A five-part wheel showing the BCMM curriculum framework: Institutionalized Personality Traits, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Antisocial Personality Traits, Substance Use Disorders, and Social Sensory Deprivation. Institutionalized Personality Traits Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Antisocial Personality Traits Substance Use Disorders Social Sensory Deprivation PICS The Five Syndromes of Post-Incarceration Syndrome BCMM™ Curriculum Framework
BREAKING CHAINS  MENDING MINDS The five syndromes of PICS: institutionalized personality traits, post-traumatic stress disorder, antisocial personality traits, substance use disorders, and social sensory deprivation.
PICS Fact Sheet — Post-Incarceration Syndrome explained by Breaking Chains Mending Minds
For returning citizens — free support group, workshops, and PICS resources built by people who lived it
For families — recognize the signs of Post-Incarceration Syndrome and find support for your loved one
For professionals and employers — PICS training that turns second-chance hiring into second-chance retention
For researchers and media — PICS data, downloadable materials, and lived-experience experts available for comment

THE RESEARCH & RECOGNITION TIMELINE OF

Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS)

RESEARCH • RECOGNITION • ADVOCACY • ACTION

2001

TERENCE T. GORSKI

Coins the term Post-Incarceration Syndrome (PICS) and introduces the concept of incarceration-related psychological trauma.

2013

ACADEMIC RESEARCH

Liem & Kunst publish research supporting PICS as a recognizable cluster of post-incarceration mental health symptoms.

2023

CONGRESSIONAL RECOGNITION

Members of Congress request federal research into Post-Traumatic Prison Disorder (also known as Post-Incarceration Syndrome).

2024+

GROWING NATIONAL AWARENESS

Universities, researchers, nonprofits, and media continue expanding awareness of PICS and trauma-informed reentry.

TODAY

BREAKING CHAINS MENDING MINDS

Transforming research into education, workshops, peer support, and practical recovery for returning citizens, families, employers, and communities.

RECOGNIZING THE PAST. ADVANCING THE FUTURE. TRANSFORMING LIVES.

Post-Incarceration Syndrome Blog Posts