Who is The Forgotten Veteran?
The Forgotten Veteran is incarcerated or homeless.
The Forgotten Veteran struggles with lingering drug/alcohol abuse issues.
The Forgotten Veteran suffers mental illness.
The Forgotten Veteran most likely experienced trauma while serving.
The Forgotten Veteran has unresolved issues with family & friends.
The Forgotten Veteran struggles with suicide ideation.
The Forgotten Veteran is in the shadows but wants to be seen.
The Forgotten Veteran is Me
The Forgotten Veteran
The Forgotten Veteran is justice-involved and homeless, most likely experienced trauma while serving. The Forgotten Veteran is in jail and/or prison. The Forgotten Veteran is sleeping in a shelter, in their car, in a camp, or on the street. The Forgotten Veteran most likely has unresolved drug/alcohol abuses, mental illness, and has experienced chronic homelessness.
"America loves the soldier; not so much the veteran"
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) estimates that 40,056 veterans are homeless on any given night. Over the course of a year, approximately twice that many experience homelessness. Only 7% of the general population can claim veteran status, but nearly 13% of the homeless adult population are veterans.
Homeless Veteran Demographics
13% of the homeless adult population are veterans
20% of the male homeless population are veterans
68% reside in principal cities
32% reside in suburban/rural areas
51% of individual homeless veterans have disabilities
50% have serious mental illness
70% have substance abuse problems
51% are white males, compared to 38% of non-veterans
50% are age 51 or older, compared to 19% non-veterans
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) reports that one third of veterans report having been arrested and booked into jail at least once, compared to fewer than one fifth of civilians. There are more than 181,500 veterans in U.S. prisons and jails. About half of these veterans were experiencing homelessness just prior to, or at the time of, arrest. About half of veterans in prison have a diagnosable mental health condition as a result of military service. Hundreds, if not thousands, of veterans were sexually assaulted while serving this country.
Veteran Sentences Tend to Be Longer
60% of the 181,000 incarcerated veterans are for non-violent charges
16% were serving life sentences compared to 14% of non-veterans
35% of veterans compared to 23% of non-veterans were incarcerated for a violent sexual offense
A total 64% of veterans compared to 48% of non-veterans were imprisoned for all violent offenses
Only 14% of veterans compared to 23% non-veterans are incarcerated for drug offenses
600,000 veterans cannot vote because of felony conviction
$56.9 Billion state’s expenditures on corrections for 2015
43% of veterans and 55% of non-veterans in prison had four or more prior arrests, and
17% were serving sentences of four years or less compared to non-veterans at 21%