United States veterans are a special breed of American; going into war zones when most people’s first inclination is to run away. Despite this, these individuals proudly defend our country and at times, pay a high price. When soldiers come home, their wounds are not always visible, suffering from mental health disorders or brain trauma.
As a result, the decision-making centers of their brain may be impaired from trauma or injuries, leaving them vulnerable to poor decision making or criminal behavior. This essay explores the findings of a 2016 report on United States Veterans serving time in the prison system, to include a summary and two critiques of the situation these individuals face.
Summary of Article
This article examines 2016 data concerning incarcerated United States veterans. It discusses many findings that peel back the curtain, providing insight into the veterans currently serving time behind bars. It provides demographic details such as gender, ethnicity, average age, as well as the estimated total number of veterans currently serving in prison. When considering both state and federal prisons, half of male veterans were white while a quarter are black and one-tenth Hispanic1 .
The Five Steps of the Criminal Justice System
The criminal justice system is composed of five parts: entry into the system, prosecution and pretrial services, adjudication, sentencing and sanctions, and corrections2. In this case, the article focuses mostly on the corrections phase for veterans, while providing insight into their backgrounds and life experiences that may have contributed to their incarceration. It is through this lens, that the following critiques are examined and brought forward.
America Fails in Addressing Veterans with Mental Health Concerns
The primary takeaway from this article, is America’s outright failure to provide resources to veterans who suffer from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The study found twenty-eight percent of male combat veterans served in Iraq as well as sixteen percent having served in Afghanistan. When screening deployed veterans, United States Veteran’s Affairs determined 15.7 percent were found to test positive for PTSD3. Veterans may also have suffered brain trauma, or cognitive impairments that impair decision-making portions of their brain4. Additionally, two out of five male combat veterans in state and federal prisons served in Vietnam, another particularly troublesome war known for creating PTSD victims. As many veterans may not receive appropriate post-care and subsequently display violent behavior, mental health impacts should be taken more seriously when coupled with understanding a veteran’s criminal behavior and result in sentencing accordingly (Elbogen et al, 2014)5.
American Veterans Deserve Alternative Court Options
A primary concern in reviewing this data, is the prevailing stigma and misunderstanding of mental health issues in the United States, forcing people into standard court options when alternative options would have been a better, less expensive fit. Perhaps due to backlog, the sheer number of incarcerated individuals, or recognition of the mental health issues plaguing the United States, alternative court options are becoming more and more common place. The first veterans court began in Buffalo, New York in 20086. Modeled after drug treatment and mental health courts, the goal is to offer an alternative to incarceration, giving veterans a chance to get better and stay out of jail. It also ensures that veterans are plugged into any programs, benefits, or services that can help them heal while also saving taxpayers money. Though largely recognized as successful, one issue that remains to be addressed is whether certain offenses should be non-allowable, ensuring that certain felonies or inter-family violence are not swept under the rug.
Conclusion
Though they made significant sacrifices when serving their country, veterans, like anyone else, are not above the law. However, the painful circumstances of their situation must also be considered, balancing the scales of justice appropriately through veteran’s court programs. This important stance ensures veterans receive the care they deserve for the cognitive wounds they suffered as a result of their combat experiences.
References
1 Maruschak, L. M., Bronson, J., & Alper, M. (2021, March 25). Veterans in prison: Survey of prison inmates, 2016. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Retrieved from https://bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/veterans-prison-survey-prison-inmates-2016.
2 Bureau of Justice Statistics. The justice system. (2021, June 3). Retrieved from https://bjs.ojp.gov/justice-system#contents.
3US Department of Veteran’s Affairs. (2014, July 30). PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans. Retrieved from https://www.publichealth.va.gov/epidemiology/studies/new-generation/ptsd.asp.
4 What is a Veterans Treatment Court? Justice for Vets. (2017, April 20). Retrieved from https://justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court/.
5 Elbogen, E. B., Johnson, S. C., Wagner, H. R., Sullivan, C., Taft, C. T., & Beckham, J. C. (2014, May). Violent behaviour and post-traumatic stress disorder in US Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The British journal of psychiatry: the journal of mental science. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006087/.
6 Veterans Courts. NCSC. (2012, April 25). Retrieved from https://www.ncsc.org/topics/alternative-dockets/problem-solving-courts/veterans-court/resource-guide.
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