Addressing the Gaps: Improving Identification and Support for Justice-Involved Veterans

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Justice-involved veterans face distinct challenges in the U.S. criminal justice system, yet identifying and supporting them remains inconsistent and insufficient. This panel examines gaps in data collection, explores veterans’ lived experiences of veteran-specific transition and criminal justice system supports, and advances policy solutions to close these divides. The first presentation highlights persistent identification failures in correctional settings, where inconsistent data practices and outdated methods limit access to essential services. Recent research underscores the need for hybrid models that combine self-reporting with tools like the Veterans Re-Entry Search Service (VRSS). The second presentation shares insights from justice-involved veterans, underscoring how challenges during the transition to civilian life—such as mental health issues, substance use, financial instability, and homelessness—can lead to justice involvement. Veterans reported systemic shortcomings, including delayed identification, limited diversion options, and a lack of veteran-specific services, especially for women and rural populations. The final presentation outlines actionable recommendations from the Council on Criminal Justice’s Veterans Justice Commission, offering reforms targeting transition, early system intervention, corrections, and reentry. The recommendations provide a coordinated strategy to improve identification, expand tailored programming, and implement reforms that foster success.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 54. Prisoner Experiences with the Justice System

Individual Presentations

• Counting Justice-Involved Veterans: The Data Challenge - Stephanie C. Kennedy, Council on Criminal Justice

• Lost in Transition: Veterans’ Pathways into the Justice System - Susan Howley, Justice Information Resource Network; Diba Rouzbahani, Justice Information Resource Network; Stephanie C. Kennedy, Council on Criminal Justice

• A Policy Roadmap: Solutions for Justice-Involved Veterans - Olivia McLarnan, Council on Criminal Justice; Giancarlo Cambrelen Santiago, DC Justice Lab

• Veteran Voices Within Prison Walls: Exploring Military and Prison Experiences Through Personal Narratives - Allison Escobedo, The University of Texas at Dallas; Ugur Orak, Middle Tennessee State University; Monica Solinas-Saunders, Indiana University Northwest; Melissa J. Stacer, University of Southern Indiana

Discussant

• Ernesto Lopez, Council on Criminal Justice / University of Missouri St. Louis

Organized by a Division or external group?

The Council on Criminal Justice's Veterans Justice Commission