Veteran Incarceration Rates and Benefits

contributed by Maria Speas

Veterans represent approximately 7% of the U.S. population, yet they make up 8% of the incarcerated population. Veterans with a history of incarceration have higher rates of mental health concerns and a higher risk of having unstable housing and jobs. According to the 2021 Census Data, 31% of veterans have been arrested at some point in their lives. When returning to civilian life, many veterans struggle with reintegration, including difficulties in securing housing and employment. In addition, many veterans have untreated psychological issues such as depression, PTSD, traumatic brain injuries or alcohol dependency. These untreated psychological complications may lead to involvement with the criminal justice system. According to a VA study, veterans with PTSD are 60% more likely to have justice-system involvement than veterans without PTSD. Incarceration can disrupt a veteran’s access to healthcare and mental health treatment. While incarcerated, veterans may lose access to their VA healthcare and receive treatment through the correctional facility, which may not be equipped to address their specific needs.

Veteran benefits such as disability compensation and pension are affected by incarceration. If a Veteran is convicted of a felony or imprisoned for more than 60 days, VA disability compensation payments are reduced. For those rated 20% or more, they are limited to the 10% disability rate. For Veterans whose disability rating is 10%, the payment is reduced by one-half. For Veterans who are recipients of VA pension, the payments will be terminated the 61st day after incarceration. Compensation payments may be reinstated once the Veteran is released.

The VA Regional Office’s Homeless Outreach Coordinator may assist justice-involved Veterans. They help Veterans learn more about the benefits one can qualify for, how to apply for those benefits and refer them to resources to help meet their needs. You can call VA’s National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838) to be connected with a homeless coordinator in your area. Another valuable resource is the Health Care for Re-entry Veterans Program (HCRV), which supports veterans in successfully reintegrating into the community after incarceration.

For more information on Veteran benefits for incarcerated and formerly-incarcerated individuals, read here.

Resources:
Kelton et al. 2022 (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08995605.2022.2141049)
Holliday, 2023 (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-023-04725-9)
https://www.benefits.va.gov/persona/veteran-incarcerated.asp

Legal Aid Veteran Law Project (https://legalaidnc.org/project/veterans-law-project/ )

Programs that assist incarcerated veterans with benefits:
HEALTH CARE FOR REENTRY VETERANS (HCRV) PROGRAM: HTTPS://WWW.VA.GOV/HOMELESS/REENTRY.ASP
VETERAN JUSTICE OUTREACH INITIATIVE (VJO):
HTTPS://WWW.VA.GOV/HOMELESS/VJO.ASP