Military veterans in prison deserve our help now

By Steve Hammons

Do military veterans serving jail or prison time deserve extra help and a second look regarding their legal and incarceration status?

Most Americans probably agree that our veterans deserve as much respect and support as we can provide. This can be in the form of health care, counseling, education and training, job placement, housing assistance and other services.

If a veteran has a difficult time after military service, especially service involving combat duties and experiences, it seems reasonable and appropriate that we should take these factors into consideration.

This includes run-ins police, adjudication in the courts, probation, jail or prison sentences and parole.

In my second novel, Light's Hand, the sequel to Mission into Light (both published in 2001), I addressed this topic and it seems timely to revisit it now.

In the novels, a ten-person joint-services research team is tasked with a range of duties, conventional and unconventional.

One of these tasks for the Joint Reconnaissance Study Group is to work with other government agencies to review the status of incarcerated veterans and develop programs to help them.

VIETNAM VETS

When some of the characters in the book learn about this assignment, they discuss the various aspects involved.

The main character, Mike Green, says to teammate Bill MacNeil, an Army Special Forces captain, that he remembers the plight of the Vietnam-era veterans.

"And since then, so many Vietnam vets ended up homeless, in prison, with alcohol and drug problems. It's a bad situation. And it hasn't improved a lot in the last twenty years. American society let those guys down during the war and after."

Army Special Forces Col. Ed Thompson, one of the group's team leaders, explains the situation to the whole group.

"We've been asked to tackle a project that fits into the human category of research. The Justice Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs have proposed that we help investigate the problem of military veterans being locked up in prison."

"Number one, the prisons are bursting at the seams. Number two, at least some of the veterans in prison may have ended up there as a direct or indirect result of their military service. Justice and the VA feel some of these guys deserve a second look."

"We're going to try to develop protocols to evaluate thousands of these vets, take a look at their offenses and records, try to orient them better with counseling and therapies, and figure out what we can do to give some of them early parole."

"And help set up a support system for them once they get out. It's really a classic Special Forces mission. Gathering intelligence on potential human assets, training indigenous personnel, and fulfilling our motto: 'de oppresso liber' ... 'liberate the oppressed.'"

"This is a small part of a larger problem facing our nation. We're putting a huge amount of our citizens in prison. By some counts, a higher percentage of our people are in prison even than the old Soviet Union or China. And far higher than all other Western first-world countries. It may not be good for our society."

"Many of these people are not dangerous and their sentences may not fit the crimes. It's a huge drain of money. And some, if not most, of these prisons are clearly inhumane and downright terrible. Judges' hands have been tied by mandatory sentencing laws from the eighties era."

"Before, a vet with a good military record might get a break from a judge. Now mandatory sentences reduce judges' discretion. MacNeil and Green will be directly involved with this in addition to their other duties."

The group's commanding officer, Air Force Col. Tom O'Brien responds, "Ed, I feel good about that prison program you're working on. You know, I served with some good men and boys in Vietnam who got screwed up and angry. So did you. Our prisons are filled with Vietnam vets who saw some tough things at age eighteen and nineteen. I want your team to do everything you can to help them. Help the ones we can."

"Will do, sir," Thompson answers. "Green and MacNeil can both bring unique perspectives to this project, sir."

IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAM

Later in the story, one of the three three-person JRSG teams was planning to start coordinating with the VA and the Justice Department on what the ideas were for evaluating vets in prisons.

MacNeil, the Special Forces captain, says, "Mike, we just got some data from the VA and Justice on the vets project. We´ve got information on all state and federal prisoners who are veterans. Criminal history and military service records. Thousands and thousands of them."

Mike, MacNeil and Ed Thompson sit there in silence for a minute as they looked at numbers and words on a computer screen and thought about the thousands of lives those numbers and words represented. MacNeil continues scanning the computer screen and narrated out loud.

"The agencies involved have already drafted preliminary criteria to consider on a case-by-case basis. Was it a violent or non-violent crime? Overall service record. Was there post-traumatic stress disorder involved?"

Mike thought he might have had a little bit of PTSD himself over the years. Lingering conscious and subconscious reactions to sudden, prolonged, or extreme stress or shock.

"Justice and the VA have joined forces with some experts in sociology, rehabilitation, parole matters and such," MacNeil continued.

Ed had some information to fill them in on.

"Colonel O'Brien advised me that the three of us and the JRSG will be consultants for the task force people working on this. Tom said he expects they'll ask for input on a wide variety of things and get our points of view."

"I'll be the liaison with them. They're tentatively calling themselves the 'Veterans Rehabilitation and Assistance Program.' We'll all review the documents we're getting from them."

MAKING IT HAPPEN

As the novel progresses, the teams within the group make progress on several of their missions, including the veterans' project.

At a meeting, Ed Thompson gives a report to the group and the CO, Col. O'Brien.

"Sir, we've been working closely with the Justice Department and the Veterans Affairs people on this veteran prison evaluation and rehabilitation program. Justice and the VA have agreed on a working format to identify the types of incarcerated vets we want to target."

"They've also agreed on what type of rehab and training they want to do, and what kind of probation and parole opportunities they will recommend. MacNeil, please give us some detail."
Bill MacNeil looks down at a clipboard in his hands.

"We are assisting Justice, the VA, and also federal Health and Human Services with design and implementation of the three areas that Colonel Thompson mentioned. I'll read you the basics."

"Number one: 'VA, HHS and Justice people will work to identify non-violent or minimally violent offenders who served in the military under honorable conditions prior to the commission of the offense for which they were convicted and incarcerated.'"

"Number two: 'An orientation program will be implemented on a one-on-one and group basis in prison settings. This will be a core values training and a motivational orientation. Job training and job opportunities will also be presented.'"

"Number three: 'On a case-by-case basis, after a period of time from three to six months, the incarcerated veterans will face an interview panel for possible early parole.'"

"Number four: Assistance will be provided regarding jobs, housing, health needs, financial services, transportation and family upon release of the veteran.'"

"Some of the details are subject to some flexibility, but that's basically the program. We hope to liberate thousands of veterans in the federal and state prison systems. The taxpayer wins, and the nation wins for standing behind our vets, through thick and thin. That's it, sir," he said, nodding to O'Brien.

PROGRESS AND RESULTS

Eventually, the veterans' program takes shape and at another meeting, Col. Thompson fills in group members on the status at another meeting.

"The program we've been in on is having success. State and federal corrections officials, a large group of judges, the VA, Justice and others are ready to go forward with this rehab and parole program."

"The criteria have been established. Rehab is a minimum three-month training program in the prison where they are now. Then, a solid placement in decent housing and a decent job when they get out."

"They'll get checked on now and again, not only for parole supervision, but for different kinds of help and assistance. This thing's on the fast track too. They're launching it in two months. So, we could have our first graduates in five months."

The men and women of the Joint Recon Study Group of my novels do their best to help our veterans. That is a fictional version of something that all Americans might want to consider.

Do we want to take steps to help our veterans in trouble? Do we decide to move away from the status as the one nation on the planet that has a larger percentage of our citizens in prison than any other country? Will we use the vast amounts of money spent on prisons for some better approach to public safety, corrections and human development?

Will we do more than "talk the talk" about veterans? Will we "walk the walk?"