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                                    Resources
                                    Resources By Area of Practice
                                    Topics In Corrections
                                    Justice-Involved Veterans

      

                    
          
    Justice-Involved Veterans
*Leave No Veteran Behind*

Since 9/11, more than 2.5 million Americans have served their country in uniform. Many have had multiple tours overseas; for example, in Iraq for Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn and in Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. To say our service members have been taxed over the last 16 years would be an understatement. Veterans are coming home and struggling with not only the physical wounds of war, but also the “invisible” wounds of war: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. They are also experiencing high rates of anxiety and depression. These veterans are not typically criminals prior to their military service. However, as a result of their experience in the military - particularly those who were deployed to a combat zone - some of them have difficulty adjusting to civilian life when they return home. Too many of these veterans self-medicate with alcohol or hard drugs to deal with their wartime experiences. Unfortunately, some of these men and women become involved in the criminal justice system.

As a center of learning, innovation and leadership that shapes and advances correctional practice and public policy, the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) devotes a portion of its focus to the critical needs of justice-involved veterans. NIC’s first veterans’ project was a collaboration with Vietnam Veterans of America. This partnership spawned the development of the white paper “Veterans Treatment Courts: A Second Chance for Vets Who Have Lost Their Way.” This paper brings awareness to the unique issues of the justice-involved veteran and also serves as a promising practices guide for jurisdictions looking to implement a VTC or improve on an existing program. NIC will soon be releasing a publication that will focus on specialized housing units for veterans in jails and prisons and will next look to highlight innovative programmatic efforts for law enforcement around crisis intervention for vets who are crisis in the community.

In December 2016, NIC established the Justice Involved Veterans Network (JIVN).The JIVN is a cross-divisional effort at NIC in partnership with the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance and is inclusive of the entire continuum of criminal justice. The network meets twice per fiscal year and its goal is to improve public safety, identify gaps in services, and improve outcomes for veterans who become involved in the justice system.

Please visit our Justice involved Veterans microsite to continue researching this topic.

    Resource Links
          Veterans Treatment Court Survey
          Justice for Vets
          Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - Veterans and Military Families
          U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
          Vietnam Veterans of America
          A National Study of Veterans Treatment Court Participants: Who Benefits and Who Recidivates
          Introduction to Public Safety De-Escalation Tactics for Military Veterans in Crisis - COPS Training Portal
          De-escalation for Veterans in Crisis
                   NIC Resources
          Veteran Intercepts in the Criminal Justice System: Minimizing Collateral Consequences for Veterans in the Criminal Justice System with Deflection, Diversion, and Intervention
          Veteran Intercepts in the Criminal Justice System - [Webinar Series]

033669 veteran intercepts in the criminal justice system
          Barracks Behind Bars II: In Veteran-Specific Housing Units, Veterans Help Veterans Help Themselves
          Barracks Behind Bars In Veteran-Specific Housing Units, Veterans Help Veterans Help Themselves
          Law Enforcement Officers Respecting Service, Restoring Honor for Vets in Crisis
          Veterans Treatment Courts: A Second Chance for Vets Who Have Lost Their Way

  Related NIC Microsites
          Justice Involved Veterans

We are a network of community, local, state, and federal partners that identifies and develops innovative and holistic approaches to assist justice-involved veterans.

Learn more about Justice Involved Veterans

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