Patterns of Criminal Justice Involvement and Processing Among Veterans in Pennsylvania

• In Event: Criminal Justice System Involvement and Policy

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been increased recognition that Veterans in the United States have greater exposure to risk factors that can increase contact with the criminal justice system (CJS). However, relatively little is known about patterns of CJ involvement among Veterans, including types of crimes committed and CJ responses, including sentences imposed. Studies that have focused on Veterans are often limited to incarcerated populations or to survey data that lacks comprehensive information on case processing. The paucity of research is, in large part, due to a lack of an identifier of Veteran status in CJ databases. Recognizing the importance of “sustained research and evaluation” to improve responses to Veterans involved in the CJS, the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing received a mandate from the Pennsylvania Senate (SR196, adopted in June 2024) to conduct a comprehensive study of Veterans involved in the CJS in Pennsylvania. In this presentation, Commission staff draw on an integrated dataset including information on charges, sentences, and Veteran status of individuals in Pennsylvania from 2016 to 2021 to compare patterns of offending, CJ processing, and recidivism between veterans and non-veterans and across different demographic groups. Policy implications stemming from the empirical findings will be discussed.

Authors

• Jordan Zvonkovich, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing

• Matthew Kleiman, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing

• Noah Painter-Davis, Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing / Pennsylvania State University