DOI: 10.3886/icpsr38270.v1
title: Veterans in the Criminal-Legal System, Missouri, United States, 2013-2014
title: Version 1

description: The purpose of this exploratory study is to generate pilot data to inform the evaluation and development of interventions and policy to reduce criminal offending by military veterans. As the initial qualitative phase of the overall multi-method project, the aim of phase 1 is to explore veterans' experiences by identifying factors that veterans believe caused or contributed to their contact with the criminal justice system. Researchers conducted 28 in-depth individual interviews and 1 follow-up focus group with United States military veterans who had contact with the criminal-legal system.
description: The purpose of the study's qualitative phase is to explore veterans' experiences by identifying factors that they believe caused or contributed to their contact with the criminal justice system.
description: The overall project used an exploratory sequential research design. The qualitative data analysis in this collection served as phase 1 to inform the quantitative phase 2 (not included). Researchers conducted individual, in-person semi-structured interviews with eligible participants. Interviews lasted between 30-90 minutes, were audio-recorded, and held at a location convenient for the participant. Those who completed an individual interview were asked if they were interested in completing a follow-up focus group in which they would have an opportunity to comment on the study's findings and analysis. Researchers scheduled the focus group at eight months following the final individual interview.
description: Participants were asked questions about their military service; prior substance use problems; their experience with probation or parole, including requirements for completion; history of arrests, including events that led up to their most recent arrest and any factors they believe could have prevented it; and how probation/parole addresses possible reasons for their interactions with the criminal justice system.
description: Response Rates: From the sampling list of 115 veterans, the research team scheduled interviews for the first 32 who responded. 28 completed an individual interview. For the follow-up focus group, 24 interviewees expressed initial interest at the time of their individual interview. Four agreed to participate when contacted later, and two attended.
description: Eligible participants were adults reporting veteran status, English speaking, and currently on either probation or parole. Recruitment for individual interviews occurred through a single county's probation and parole department. Participants were recruited via a flyer posted in the waiting room of the department and distributed by officers during visits with people on probation. The research team randomly drew names from a list of 115 veterans and contacted them via phone for study recruitment.
description: Datasets: DS1: Veterans in the Criminal-Legal System, Missouri, United States, 2013-2014
description: Self-identified U.S. Armed Forces veterans who were on probation or parole in Missouri during the study timeframe.
description: face-to-face interviewThis study is part of the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) Qualitative Data Sharing (QDS) project.ICPSR has zipped the 28 individual interview transcripts and 1 focus group transcript into a qualitative data package. The package is available for restricted download. Please refer to the ICPSR README documentation for more information.