Prison Adjustment Among Military Veterans: The Impact of Traumatic Events, Service History, and PTSD

• In Event: Understanding Important Group Differences in Prison Misconduct and Other Experiences

Abstract

Military veterans have been shown to differ demographically from non-veterans in the criminal justice system. However, relatively little is known about their psychological adjustment, institutional misbehavior, and the efficacy of programming received while incarcerated. Using data taken from a nationally representative sample of prison inmates, this study investigates how traumatic events experienced during military service (e.g., serving in combat, sustaining an injury, exposure to casualties) can impact the intensity of negative affect among veterans behind bars. Additionally, we examine whether prison misconduct is influenced by a veteran’s military service history (e.g., service branch, length of tenure) and their receipt of substance abuse treatment. Controlling for a host of relevant variables, our results indicate that traumatic events show a significant effect on psychological adjustment only among those veterans who developed post-traumatic stress disorder and that misconduct is lower among those who received an honorable discharge. These findings generally comport with the importation theory of inmate adjustment and suggest that the ability of veterans to resist negative outcomes may depend on a variety of factors both within and outside the prison environment. We provide avenues for future research, including potential ways to better identify and address the needs of justice-involved veterans.

Authors

• Mark Morgan, University of Dayton

• Matthew Logan, Texas State University

• John Wooldredge, University of Cincinnati