Incarcerated Veterans Incarceration

Men and women who have made the sacrifice to serve in the military are often thought to be deserving of special resources and benefits after their service to our country ends. Unfortunately, for the veterans who become incarcerated, they may not receive these resources. This may be a contributing cause of their incarceration. They also may not have access to these resources while they are incarcerated, or even after their release. Neglecting to recognize the importance of their needs is likely to hinder their ability to reintegrate into society and lead productive lives. However, knowing what the needs of incarcerated veterans are can aid in providing them access to resources that can help them to reintegrate successfully into main society after incarceration, and also prevent them from being incarcerated again.

This equates to about 225,000 veterans. Approximately 64,000 incarcerated veterans are released each year and more than 33,000, or 51.8%, of them will return to incarceration again (LePage et al, 2013). The average cost of housing an inmate every year varies. The nationwide average is $31,286, but in California the average is $47,000 and in New York City the cost is $167,731 per inmate (de Figueiredo, 2015). This is a staggering cost paid both by taxpayers and governments. Incarcerated veterans is a problem both financially and due to the number of incarcerated veterans. The number of veterans who are repeatedly incarcerated shows that this problem needs more research. With over half of the incarcerated population released on an annual basis being incarcerated again, it is imperative that further research into their needs is