One-third of U.S. military veterans self-reported that they had been arrested and booked into jail at least once, according to a recent report from the non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice think tank.
Per the report, around 200,000 active-duty service members leave the armed forces each year. The comprehensive count indicates approximately 181,500 veterans are in American prisons and jails.
When veterans leave the military, their return to civilian life is called a “transition,” and it involves medical, psychological, social, cultural, interpersonal, familial, professional, and financial considerations.
Although the Department of Defense has a program to assist veterans in their transition, 45% have reported feeling inadequately prepared for the transition to civilian life, 61% reported difficulty paying their bills following discharge, 42% said they have trouble obtaining medical care for themselves or their families, and 41% reported challenges with alcohol or drug misuse.
According to the council report, most veterans leaving the service “transition successfully, demonstrating often extraordinary resilience in the face of a wide array of risk factors and obstacles. However, “others struggle—with mental health and substance use disorders, the aftereffects of traumatic brain injury, homelessness, and criminality.”
A survey cited by the report found that nearly 8% of people incarcerated in state prisons and more than 5% of people in federal prisons were veterans.
“More veterans are incarcerated in the U.S than total prisoners in the 208 countries for which prison population data is available,” said the council.
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Still, it represents just 1% of the U.S. veteran population.
Of the incarcerated veterans in the U.S., 98% are male and around 50% self-identify as white. Close to 70% of incarcerated veterans are convicted of violent crimes compared to 57% of non-veterans and more veterans are serving life sentences than non-veterans. While most incarcerated veterans were honorably discharged, the population who was not is overrepresented in prisons and jails.
Also, incarcerated veterans are on average 51 to 52 years old, more than a decade older than the average age of incarcerated non-veterans.
“Like the overall incarcerated population, the age of veterans in prison has been rising steadily over the last 20 years,” according to the report.
Veterans who joined the military after Sept. 11, 2001 may be at greater risk for justice system involvement, since they have seen more combat deployments and redeployments than any previous cohort of members. These service members are also younger and more racially diverse than the general public.
“Overall, studies show that service-related trauma exposure, combined with increased incidence of mental health and substance use disorders, elevates veterans’ risk of justice system involvement,” said the report, which added that, “combat deployment is strongly associated with the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).”
Once arrested, most veterans will spend time in institutions that do not offer programs and care specialized to their needs.
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“For veterans struggling with PTSD or other trauma symptoms, many aspects of incarceration can resemble deployment to a combat zone, and mental health providers observe that incarcerated combat veterans often adopt the ‘survival mode’ characteristics of those engaged in combat operations,” the report explained. “While the nationwide prevalence of TBI among incarcerated veterans is not known, one study analyzing Washington State Department of Corrections data found that veterans who self-report TBI have increased use of in-prison medical services, higher rates of violent in-prison misconduct, and an increased likelihood of experiencing solitary confinement.”
Some jails and prisons have established specific housing for veterans as well as programs for them. These programs can vary, which makes their effectiveness difficult to evaluate.
Veterans are also disconnected from Veterans Affairs (VA) health services while incarcerated.
“A growing number of veterans are ineligible for VA benefits despite not having engaged in bad conduct or criminal behavior during military service,” said the report. Even after their sentence ends, veterans may struggle to re-enroll in VA benefits.
Upon re-entering society, formerly incarcerated veterans are at risk for the same grim outcomes as other incarcerated people. Per the report, At least one study has study found that in the first two weeks following release, formerly incarcerated individuals are nearly 13 times more likely to die than others.
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“The highest risk for death is from substance use disorders; individuals reentering from prison are 129 times more likely than the general population to die from a drug overdose,” said the council. “Other causes include cardiovascular disease, homicide, and suicide.”
Data on veterans’ involvement in the justice system is lacking because few justice agencies participate in systems that identify veterans. The report noted that more research is needed to understand the connection between military service and incarceration risk factors.
Going forward, the assessment is intended to inform the deliberations of Council on Criminal Justice Veterans Justice Commission, which held its first meeting on Aug. 18 and is chaired by former Defense Secretary and Sen. Chuck Hagel.
“The Commission’s charge is to study the challenges facing veterans and develop evidence-based, nonpartisan solutions that reduce veteran involvement in the criminal justice system and enhance safety, health, and justice,” said the report.
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