LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A new report from the Veterans Justice Commission called “Preliminary Assessment of Veterans in the Criminal Justice System” came out Tuesday and it has shown that about 8% of all U.S. inmates are military veterans.
Approximately one-third of veterans are reported to have been arrested and booked into a jail at least once in their lives. In comparison, the statistics for non-veterans is less than one in five. According to a recent national survey, there are a total of 181,500 veterans currently in U.S. prisons and jails. Information compiled in the report comes from Justice Department data from 2015.
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With about 200,000 active-duty service members leaving the armed forces every year, there are many who struggle with mental health challenges including combat-related trauma and post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, substance abuse, adverse childhood experiences, sexual trauma in the military, homelessness and criminality.
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) has announced the launch of a national commission to examine why so many military veterans land in jail and prison and they are tasked to recommend evidence-based policy changes that enhance safety, health and justice. Chaired by former U.S. Defense Secretary and U.S.
Senator Chuck Hagel, this nonpartisan Veterans Justice Commission also includes former defense secretary and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, two formerly incarcerated veterans and other top military, veterans, and criminal justice leaders. Over the course of two years, the 15-member commission will conduct research and gather testimony.
The commission will be looking into the extent and nature of the veterans’ involvement in the criminal justice
system and risk factors that drive it; the adequacy of transitional assistance for veterans as they reenter
civilian life, and what strategies could better prevent justice-system involvement; and the nature and effectiveness of the justice system response when veterans break the law and what other interventions could, or should, occur.
In Michigan, according to government data from July of 2021, there are 567,919 veterans, an increase of 2.8% from the previous year.
Michigan offers many resources to help the state’s returning service members adjust to civilian life which veterans can access through the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency at 800-MICH-VET.
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The state also offers a Crisis Line number for veterans to call and the information can be found here.
Additionally, there has also been bipartisan legislation passed in the state of Michigan that has made it easier for veterans in the state to gain employment. These initiatives include removing barriers that prevented veterans and their families from entering a licensed profession; making it easier to receive a Commercial Driver’s License in order to be a truck driver and making it easier to find jobs in state government.
