Implementing Restorative Justice Within the Veteran Community

In 2016, 107,400 United States veterans were incarcerated (Maruschak et al., 2021). Among male veterans, 74% in state prison and 77% in federal prison received an honorable or general discharge under honorable conditions. Furthermore, 28% of male veterans in state prison and 21% of male veterans in federal prison were combat veterans. Veterans are skilled professionals who dedicate years of their lives to protect our country, yet many struggle to reintegrate themselves into civilian life. Homelessness, substance use, and mental health issues are prevalent among justice-involved veterans, putting them at a higher risk of incarceration (Schwartz & Levitas, 2011).

With the goal of providing veterans with post-incarceration integration support, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department (SFSD) implemented the Community of Veterans Engaged in Restoration (COVER) program in 2010. Limited access to Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare, combined with limited prison healthcare, leaves many incarcerated veterans untreated. Therefore, the COVER program teaches incarcerated veterans restorative justice concepts in custody and post-release.

According to the National Center on Restorative Justice, some goals of practicing restorative justice are understanding, accountability, and repair. In the realm of criminal justice, restorative justice is seen as an alternative approach to justice when compared to traditional punishment. In custody, incarcerated veterans live together to participate in the four stages of COVER (recognition, processing information, changing attitudes and motivation, and changing behavior) (Schwartz & Levitas, 2011). Additionally, incarcerated veterans participate in the three components of COVER (offender component, family/victim restoration, and community restoration/post-release/re-entry). This structure is designed to promote self-sufficiency and reduce recidivism within the incarcerated veteran community. Furthermore, California’s Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act (SACPA), which offers treatment in lieu of incarceration, saved an estimated four dollars per one dollar invested among program completers (about $2.50 per dollar overall), illustrating how rehabilitative approaches can save taxpayer money (Schwartz & Levitas, 2011).

Despite the promise of restorative justice, the 2016 statistics on incarcerated United States veterans (the most recent official count of incarcerated veterans) underscore the need for more consistent program implementation across United States correctional facilities. Of the 107,400 incarcerated veterans, about 98% were male; an estimated 96,300 males were in state prison and 9,100 males were in federal prison (Maruschak et al., 2021). Among male veterans, approximately 64.6% in state prison and 55.9% in federal prison had at least one prior incarceration, a proxy for recidivism. Consequently, approximately 62,210 incarcerated male veterans in state prison and 5,087 in federal prison had previously been incarcerated, roughly 67,300 in total. These men could have benefited from restorative justice programs that provide the support necessary to reintegrate into the life they deserve. After all, service members protect our country; the least they deserve is a meaningful life after service and after release.