Fewer Veterans Incarcerated in 2011/12 than in 2004

A new report from the federal government indicates that in 2011–12, an estimated eight percent of all inmates in state and federal prison and local jail were military veterans, this is a decline from 2004.


According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), "between 2004 and 2011–12, the number of veterans incarcerated in prison declined 6 percent (down 8,500 veterans), while the number in local jails declined 25 percent (down 16,500 veterans). In 2011–12, the total incarceration rate of veterans in the United States (855 per 100,000 veterans) was lower than the rate for nonveterans (968 per 100,000 U.S. residents). "

Veterans in prison were more likely to be convicted of a violent offense but have fewer priors than nonveterans. 64 percent) of veterans in prison were sentenced for a violent offense compared to about 52 percent of nonveterans in prison.  Veterans also tended to serve longer sentences than nonveterans. 

The report said, "more veterans (16 percent) in prison were serving life sentences than nonveterans (14 percent) in prison. Fewer veterans (17 percent) in prison than nonveterans (21 percent) were serving sentences of less than 4 years. "

Other findings of BJS were:

"Veterans in prison were an average age of 49, 12 years older than nonveterans in prison who were an average age of 37; veterans in jail were an average age of 43, 11 years older than nonveterans who were an average age of 32."

"Half (50 percent) of veterans in prison were white compared to more than a quarter (27 percent) of nonveterans; 44 percent of veterans in jail were white compared to 31 percent of nonveterans.
Black and Hispanic inmates made up a significantly smaller proportion of incarcerated veterans, compared to incarcerated nonveterans."

"A larger proportion of nonveterans than veterans were in prison for property (17 percent for nonveterans compared to 12 percent for veterans), drug (19 percent compared to 14 percent) and DUI/DWI (4 percent compared to 3 percent) offenses. "

Read the full report here: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5480