NCJ Number
239313
Journal
Justice Quarterly Volume: 29 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2012 Pages: 258-286
Date Published
April 2012
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the problems and prior experiences of arrested military veterans and compares veteran and nonveteran arrestees along a range of measures.
Abstract
The potential for veterans to end up in the criminal justice system as a result of physical and psychological problems that may be combat-related has generated much interest, illustrated most recently by the development of specialized veterans' courts. However, little is known about how often veterans are arrested and incarcerated, the nature of their problems, or the extent to which their military service has contributed to their criminality. Using interview data from 2,102 arrestees booked in Maricopa County (AZ) during 2009, this paper examines the problems and prior experiences of arrested military veterans and compares veteran and nonveteran arrestees along a range of measures. Results indicate that veterans comprise 6.3 percent of the arrestee population, and that more than 50 percent of veterans report suffering from at least one combat-related problem including physical injury, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other mental health problems, and substance abuse. Multivariate analysis indicates that veteran arrestees differ from nonveterans on a number of key measures, most notably more frequent arrests for violent offenses and greater use of crack cocaine and opiates. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for the potential link between military service and criminality as well as for criminal justice policy and practice. (Published Abstract)