CCJ's Veterans Justice Commission releases new report with recommendations on aiding veteran reentry

The Council on Criminal Justice today released this big new report from its Veterans Justice Commission titled "From Confinement to Community: Supporting Successful Veteran Reentry and Employment." This CCJ press releae about the report provide some context and overview:

The American business sector and agencies at all levels of government should adjust their employment policies to prioritize the hiring of justice-involved veterans, the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) Veterans Justice Commission said in releasing its third set of recommendations today. Promoting “second chance veteran” hiring would enhance public safety, honor veterans’ sacrifices, and support their efforts to thrive in the country they have served.

The 15-member commission, which is chaired by former U.S. Defense Secretary and U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel and includes former Defense Secretary and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta, also said Congress should require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide medical and mental healthcare for incarcerated veterans, restoring a long-held benefit eliminated 25 years ago.

Noting that finding a job is a daunting challenge for veterans and others leaving jail or prison, the commission called on the business community to collaborate with correctional facilities, technology platforms, and community supervision agencies to prioritize veterans in existing efforts to hire people who have been involved in the criminal justice system. To accelerate this change, the commission created a model hiring policy outlining best practices for recruiting and employing justice-involved veterans. The Second Chance Business Coalition, a network of companies committed to hiring people with criminal records, advised the commission on the policy and pledged to promote it....

Roughly 200,000 active-duty service members leave the armed forces each year, and while most transition successfully, many struggle with mental health and substance use disorders, the effects of PTSD, homelessness, and criminality. One in three veterans report having been arrested and booked into jail at least once....

The commission’s report, From Confinement to Community: Supporting Successful Veteran Reentry and Employment, included three additional recommendations to strengthen support for veterans with misdemeanor or felony convictions:

• Federal agencies should remove administrative barriers that restrict housing opportunities for formerly incarcerated veterans and significantly complicate their reentry. In addition, Congress should pass legislation to prevent the VA’s erroneous payment of benefits during some veterans’ confinement, a practice that can saddle them with substantial debt as they return home.
• While veteran-specific housing units in prisons and jails have become increasingly popular, they have not undergone rigorous study. The commission called on Congress to fund and direct the Department of Justice, through the National Center for Veterans Justice proposed by the commission, to coordinate research on veterans housing units and develop best practices for their use. 
• The commission urged the federal government and states to enact “second look” legislation enabling veterans to receive mitigation considerations for military service in resentencing, parole, and clemency processes. Second look policies have been adopted in 12 states and the District of Columbia, but, except in California, incarcerated veterans have few opportunities to request resentencing based on facts related to their service.

Prior related posts:

• New CCJ commission to examine factors driving veterans' involvement in criminal justice system 
• Noting the notable challenge of defining "veteran" for various purposes connected to criminal justice systems 
• CCJ's Veterans Justice Commission releases "Honoring Service, Advancing Safety: Supporting Veterans From Arrest Through Sentencing" 
• Council on Criminal Justice releases new policy roadmap encouraging alternatives to prosecution and incarceration for justice-involved veterans