Incarceration Among Male Veterans: Relative Risk of Imprisonment and Differences Between Veteran and Nonveteran Inmates

The risk of incarceration for male Veterans compared with non-Veterans was examined through the use of national surveys of jail and prison inmates. Differences were examined based on age and race/ethnicity as well as the prevalence of certain risk factors (e.g., health status, socioeconomic characteristics, exposure to trauma). The researchers proposed that differences in incarceration rates might be attributed to changes in recruiting practices that raised the average qualifications and socioeconomic status of recruits who enrolled in the all volunteer force over time.