Leave No Veteran Behind: US Veterans in Prison, 2010.

The word on vets in prison is that a lot of them are dying these days. 65% of veterans in prison are over 55 years old. A good many of them are Vietnam War vets dying from the complications of Hepatitis C. Yeah, being a Vietnam era vet is a risk factor for the disease, though it's likely due to the high incidence of IV drug use in particular among vets of that generation. 

Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be a higher incidence of drug use among vets in prison than the rest of the prison population. That may not be saying much, though. Most people in prison are there for drug-related convictions.

The news on what our vets are in prison for is not good. Most are in for violent or sexual offenses. It's possible that veterans with lesser offenses are just being cut more slack in sentencing, concentrating the violent offenders among them in prison. The verdict on how PTSD affects this population is still out, but there's a clear correlation between military service and violent crime.

The US DOJ is overdue for a new statistical report and analysis. We've had over nine years of war, with soldiers going out on multiple deployments, since the last big study they put out in 2000. There's a particular need for an examination of women veterans in prison. Here's the 2007 press release on the DOJ's updated figures, nonetheless. Keep in mind it was from statistics gathered in 2004.

Here's the link to the UK's Howard League recent study on veterans in US prisons. It's also very informative. We really should be studying this more ourselves, though.

Remember our Buddies in Prison.

Seen over the Loop 202; Phoenix. Veterans' Day, 2010.

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Bureau of Justice Statistics
SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007	Contact: Stu Smith 202/307-0784
www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs	After hours: 301-983-9354

MALE VETERANS LESS THAN HALF AS LIKELY AS MALE NON-VETERANS TO BE IN PRISON IN 2004

Veterans Older, Better Educated Than Other State and Federal Prisoners

WASHINGTON—There were an estimated 140,000 veterans held in state and federal prisons in 2004, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. State prisons held 127,500 of these veterans, and federal prisons held 12,500.

Almost all veterans in prison were male (99 percent). Among adult males in the U.S. population in 2004, veterans were half as likely as non-veterans to be in prison (630 prisoners per 100,000 veterans, compared to 1,390 prisoners per 100,000 non-veteran U.S. residents). The difference is largely explained by age. Two-thirds of male veterans in the U.S. population were at least 55 years old, compared to 17 percent of non-veteran men. The incarceration rate of these older male veterans (182 per 100,000) was far lower than for those under age 55 (1,483 per 100,000).

In 2004, the percentage of state prisoners who reported prior service in the U.S. Armed Forces (10 percent) was half of the level reported in 1986 (20 percent). BJS began surveying federal prisoners in 1991, and federal inmates showed a similar decline in reporting military service – from 20 percent in 1991 to 10 percent in 2004.

Despite the declining percentages of prisoners with prior military service, the estimated number of veterans in state and federal prison increased by more than 50,000 between 1985 and 2000. This increase coincided with a rapid growth in total prison populations. Since 2000, the number of veterans in prison has fallen 13,100 or 9 percent.

The average length of military service of veterans in prison was about four years, and six in 10 received an honorable discharge. The majority of veterans in state (54 percent) and federal (64 percent) prisons served during a wartime period, but a much lower percentage (20 percent of veterans in state prisons, 26 percent of federal) reported seeing combat. Vietnam-era veterans (36 percent) were the largest group of wartime service veterans in state prisons, followed by veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War (14 percent). Only 4 percent of the veterans in state prison had served since operations began in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Over half of veterans (57 percent) were serving time for violent offenses, compared to 47 percent of non-veterans. In particular, veterans (23 percent) were twice as likely as non-veterans (9 percent) to have been sentenced for sexual assaults, including rape. Among violent offenders, a higher percentage of veterans reported victimizing females (60 percent for veterans compared to 41 percent for non-veterans) and minors (40 percent for veterans compared to 24 percent for non-veterans).

Veterans were much older than other inmates; the median age of veterans in State prison was 45, compared to 33 for non-veterans. Veterans in state prisons were also more likely to be white (54 percent) than non-veterans in state prisons (33 percent). Veterans were much better educated than other state prisoners. Nearly all veterans (91 percent) reported at least a high school diploma or GED, compared to 60 percent of non-veterans in state prisons. College attendance was three times higher among veterans in state prison as well (33 percent compared to 10 percent of non-veterans).

Veterans were less likely to report drug use in the month before their offense (42 percent) than other state prisoners (58 percent). Veteran status was not related to inmate reports of alcohol dependence and abuse.

The report, Veterans in State and Federal Prison, 2004 (NCJ-217199), was written by BJS statistician Margaret E. Noonan and BJS policy analyst Christopher J. Mumola. Following publication it can be found at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=808.

For additional information about the Bureau of Justice Statistics please visit the BJS Web site at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Regina B. Schofield, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed strategy and OJP’s American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs Desk and the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART) Office. More information can be found at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

Vets, PTSD, Addiction: Criminal?

Why Are We Locking Up Traumatized Veterans for Their Addictions Instead of Offering Them Treatment?
By Penny Coleman, AlterNet
Posted on November 11, 2009

A new report by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) exposes practices and policies that for decades have unjustly resulted in large numbers of psychically injured and addicted veterans landing in the nation’s prisons and jails.

The report reflects a year’s worth of outreach to veterans and veterans’ advocates across the country, and a distillation of their most creative, innovative and optimistic responses to the problem.

Gen. Steven Xenakis, MD, Special Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Warrior and Family Support, brought a message of official support to a teleconference announcing the release of the report:

“250,000 soldiers is a large number of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen who have been affected,” he said. “It is so important that people are made aware of the issues, and that we follow up with the best action plans we can find … We in this country have a responsibility to assist and support them.”

Specifically, the report recommends changes in state and federal statutes that now prioritize punishment over treatment for veterans who commit nonviolent drug-related offenses as a result of their addiction and other mental health issues.

“Courts, as a way of dealing with large numbers of people with substance abuse problems, are a very slow and expensive way to go,” explained Dan Abrahamson, the Drug Policy Alliance’s Director of Legal Affairs. “You need a courtroom and a judge, and all the players from prosecutors to defense attorneys. Providing treatment straight up requires far fewer resources and far less investment for far greater returns.”

The report also calls for the adoption of overdose prevention programs, and the expansion of veterans’ access to medication-assisted therapies to treat opioid dependence.

Overdose is an on-going problem among veterans, as are other self-destructive behaviors that inflate the official and unofficial tally of suicides among active duty troops and veterans. (Veterans, often compromised by alcohol or drugs, are an astonishing 148 percent more likely to die in a motorcycle crash than civilians of comparable age, race, and sex.)

Guy Gambill, a long-time veterans advocate who was instrumental in shaping the report, reminded the teleconference participants that “one of the hallmark symptoms of PTSD is the tendency to self-medicate.”

“In the aftermath of Vietnam, self-medication and its collateral behaviors landed tens of thousands of veterans in prison. This time,” Gambill suggests, “let’s be smarter than the problem.”

Gambill is a veteran of Nuclear Duty forces in Europe and of Reagan’s South American military ventures. He makes no secret of the fact that he has done time in jail and under bridges, kicked a serious drug habit, and managed to live with the mental health issues that are a result of his service.

For the last decade, his first-hand experiences have fed his efforts to promote the diversion of veterans from incarceration into treatment, and he is convinced that finding ways to deal with addictions is a key part of that effort.

“We are not going to let murderers off the hook, or sex offenders. We’re not going to let people who have 16 aggravated DUIs and killed somebody off the hook. Those guys aren’t getting out of jail any time soon.

“So who do we have room to help? People with drug offense charges. In cases where a veteran has combat-related psychological trauma and non-violent drug offenses, there is a lot of political will to give these guys a break.”

A great litmus test for that political will would be the immediate repeal of the 2002 VA directive barring treatment for incarcerated veterans. This almost incomprehensibly myopic policy is, as the report states, “a missed opportunity for the VA to provide critical services and support for veterans to recover from the psychological wounds that caused their criminal activity in the first place.”

Currently, the most successful mechanism for diverting veterans from incarceration and into treatment was conceived by Judge Robert Russell. His veterans’ court in Buffalo, NY, is a hybrid version of the drug and mental health courts that since the 80s have had a dramatic impact on the conversation about who and under what circumstances should be sent to prison.

Russell’s court was the first in the country to cater specifically to the needs of veterans with addiction disorders and/or mental illness who are charged with nonviolent criminal offenses. After almost two years, Russell’s court boasts an astonishing recidivism rate of zero, compared to the 60 to 70 percent nation average.

Such courts are now springing up across the country, but they are seriously limited by their ability to attract and process large numbers of cases. Last year, Judge Russell’s court processed under a hundred cases.

“And they’re not getting any current conflict vets,” Gambill told me in a phone interview. “It’s a lot of Vietnam vets, and it’s great that they are getting help, but the intent of all this is not to have another generation go through the same bullshit. It doesn’t mean anything if we don’t get some significant numbers of veterans to participate in the program.”

One serious problem, he explains, is that the specialty courts, drug, mental health and veterans’, are voluntary. “Consider a 23 year-old who gets arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct on a Friday night. The cops throw him in jail, but before he is arraigned on Monday morning, the public defender offers him the choice of a $600 fine, $500 suspended, pay $100 down. 90 days, 87 days suspended--time served 3 days, and you walk out today.

Or of matriculating into the veterans’ court for a year or so of court-supervised treatment, at the end of which time the charges against him will be thrown out.

“Which one do you think a 23 year-old guy on a roll is going to choose?

“That’s what is happening all over the country,” Gambill explains, “That’s why the numbers are so low and why the specialty courts cannot be expected to solve the whole problem.”

Furthermore, “the whole problem,” as Tom Tarantino, a legislative associate with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), pointed out, is of an entirely unknown magnitude.

“We don’t really know how many veterans are in jail right now. The numbers cited in the DPA report are from a survey done in 2004. In 2004, there were over a million fewer veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan than there are today.”

Tarantino offered a simple solution to the absence of that information: “The Department of Defense has lists of people who have been in the military and the Department of Justice quarterly collects lists of people who have been arrested. We just need them to compare lists.”

But even armed with that data, there are, all told, only about a dozen veterans’ courts in operation or in the planning stages in the entire country. Even if more soldiers and veterans can be persuaded to make use of them, there are hardly enough courts to handle the daunting wave of new veterans who are expected to run afoul of the law.

The DPA report is, however, more interested in interventions that can occur before veterans become entangled in the criminal justice system. Presently, most prison diversion programs, including many, if not all, of the emerging veterans’ treatment courts, require veterans to plead guilty to criminal charges before being directed to treatment.

The consequences of an arrest and conviction can be devastating, the report explains, including denial of employment, housing or public benefits. And an estimated 585,000 veterans are denied the right to vote because of their felony convictions.

And even when all charges are finally dismissed, electronic information that has been released, cannot always be recovered. Data harvesting has become a big business, and any arrest, regardless of outcome, can resurface to compromise a veteran’s future.

So the report emphasizes “front-end diversion practices,” or ways keep veterans out of prison in the first place. Gambill describes some encouraging experimental programs in Chicago and Los Angeles that make use of veterans who are specifically trained to ride along with police when they get disturbance calls.

These “peer intervention specialists” can recognize another vet by his bearing and behavior. Speaking a common language and referencing a common culture, these intervention specialists are far more likely to convince a freaked-out vet to back down, and then talk him into accepting a treatment option.

Some of the suggestions made in this report will require the coordinated efforts and funds of multiple agencies. But some are so simple and obvious, even cheap, that it is sort of mind boggling that they even warrant discussion.

For, example, Dr. Bob Newman, MD, Director, Rothschild Chemical Dependency Institute at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, wants to know how TRICARE, the Defense Department’s health insurance plan for active duty soldiers, can justify its refusal not to pay for methadone and other medication therapies for addicted veterans.

“I want to stress,” Newman said on the teleconference, “that we are not talking about some hypothetical, new Idea as to how to approach the problem of opiate addiction. It is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine.

“And our Department of Defense has an insurance plan that simply excludes maintenance treatment. No explanation. It just says, we don’t pay for it. And I understand that could be changed with the stroke of a pen.”

So simple, and yet like many of the recommendations in this report, so stubbornly resistant to change. One must wonder why?

Untreated combat-related mental health injuries are predictive of substance abuse, and untreated substance abuse is predictive of encounters with the criminal justice system. And the door predictably revolves.

Tarantino wants it made very clear that, for many soldiers, the vicious cycle begins while they are still under military jurisdiction. “It was really alarming how many combat soldiers were given prescription drugs with little or no supervision,” he reported. “To be really blunt, I know crack dealers who are more discriminating with issuing drugs than some of the clinics that I saw in Iraq.”

Many of those drugs have serious known side effects, including suicide. And many of them, drugs to help soldiers sleep and drugs to help them stay awake, are seriously addictive.

“The ease of obtaining prescription drugs in the combat zone,” Tarantino explains, “is not mirrored back in garrison. When soldiers come home, their reliance on those same drugs can create severe problems.”

This report highlights the gross injustice of holding soldiers and veterans entirely responsible for drug reliance that is facilitated, if not encouraged, when it serves military purposes. That injustice is aggravated when it is used as an excuse to kick soldiers out of the military thereby denying them benefits. It is further aggravated when treatment is withheld, both for their injuries and for their addictions, and aggravated further still when it is punished with incarceration.

One must wonder whose interests then are being served?

General Xenakis promises that “our leadership heartily endorses” what this report is hoping to accomplish. They should. Its recommendations are an important step in the right direction.

But they should be held to that promise.

Penny Coleman is the widow of a Vietnam veteran who took his own life after coming home. Her latest book, Flashback: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide and the Lessons of War, was released on Memorial Day, 2006. Her Web site is Flashback.
© 2009 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/143867/

Veterans remember comrades in prison: Ukiah, CA.

Forgotten heroes

By CAROLE BRODSKY

Updated: 11/11/2009 12:01:01 AM PST

Incarcerated vets receive community support 

Three years ago, Sheriff Tom Allman approached county veterans with an idea: creating a celebration for incarcerated veterans. Though initially met with some trepidation, the idea took root and is now part of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1900's yearly Veterans Day activities.


"We usually have between 12 to 15 veteran inmates in custody. The Ukiah VFW Post does the cooking and socializing. The Willits American Legion Post is very instrumental to this event by raising the necessary money for food," says Allman, who emphasizes that no tax dollars are used to cover event expenses.


Derek Shawk, senior vice-commander of VFW Post 1900, is a Marine who served in the Persian Gulf from 1988 until 1992. The Ukiah native got involved with the VFW three years ago at the prompting of his wife, who is not a veteran but volunteers at their monthly pancake breakfasts.


Today Shawk is head cook for the breakfasts, so it was natural for him to prepare food for the picnic. "The event is unexpected for the veteran inmates. They're very appreciative and humbled by the experience," notes Shawk.


The picnic lasts about two hours, beginning with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a barbecue, dessert and socializing. Several years ago, a Ukiah vet made a comment to the sheriff: "Just because someone has done something bad, doesn't mean they haven't done something good in their life," Allman quotes.




Shawk notes that last year, some of the corrections officers who are veterans attended the picnic. "It was a chance for the inmates and officers to see themselves as veterans."


He feels post traumatic stress disorder is one of the root causes of many of the problems plaguing today's veterans. "While you're in a combat zone you don't have time to think. You're not going to leave your buddies behind by telling a counselor you're under stress. It's when they come home and everything's calm that people start to have problems," Shawk notes. "That's what the word post' means, in PTSD."

What was called "shell-shock" during World War I has undergone several re-brandings. During the Second World War, it became "combat fatigue" and today is known as PTSD. Shawk feels vets have always suffered with post-combat, anxiety-related conditions.

Today's soldiers, according to Shawk, spend months in grueling, unrelieved combat situations, making it very difficult to manage stress. Once home, problems with addiction, homelessness, anger and violence can ensue unless vets receive early counseling. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans estimated that nearly 200,000 veterans were homeless in 2006.

"Many veterans try to assimilate, but they are not the same person they were before they enlisted, and they never will be," he explains...





(follow the link to get to the rest at the Ukiah Daily Journal )

Homeless Veterans: Voice of San Diego

Because so much usually comes before a person ends up in prison...

If anyone finds some good info on women veterans and the criminal justice and/or mental health systems, by the way, drop me a line - I could use a little help researching that.


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Preventing Homelessness Among San Diego's Newest Veterans

Johnathan Pebley, 24, and Brandon Wingle, 22, enrolled in Veterans Village of San Diego homeless veteran programs after their time in the Marines.

 

 

 

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Voice of San Diego.org
By ADRIAN FLORIDO

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 | Increasing numbers of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, many in their early 20s, are turning up homeless in San Diego County, and local service providers say they are preparing to face even larger numbers of homeless veterans in the coming years.

The San Diego Veterans Administration says the number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have received transitional housing services from partner agencies funded by the VA has more than doubled in the last year, to 41.

At the Veterans Village of San Diego, which provides residential treatment for homeless veterans with drug and alcohol abuse problems, more than 30 recently discharged American soldiers have participated in its residential program in the last two years, more than in previous years, said Director Phil Landis.
"There's not a person in this business who doesn't think the problem is going to get much, much worse," said Tom Mitchell, director of communications at the Veterans Village.

The numbers, experts who serve homeless veterans said, are still small. But they said the homeless count is accelerating as more veterans are discharged from active duty and as struggling veterans from the wars' earlier years have had time to succumb to mental and substance abuse problems and fall through the safety nets designed to assist them. Current numbers do not represent the full magnitude of the coming problem, they say.

In San Diego, private service providers and the VA are preparing for a coming swell of veterans returning to civilian life with mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder. They are hoping to avoid some of the mistakes they say were committed following Vietnam, when veterans returned to a barren social service landscape that often failed to recognize "invisible" mental wounds that made reintegration into civilian life difficult. They are focusing on preventive services.

In San Diego, which is home to more than 260,000 retired and active duty veterans, the preventive services will be especially important as more active duty veterans return to civilian life.

At the Veterans Village, social workers have started community support circles for combat veterans struggling with the demons of war that often surface as soon as soldiers are expected to readjust to civilian life after spending months or years developing automatic defense mechanisms against the dangers of insurgent warfare.

They manifest themselves in downtown night clubs, where heavy bass beats evoke memories of mortar attacks, or driving down highways and overreacting at the site of a cardboard box on the side of the road, reminiscent of a roadside bomb.

The Veterans Village's Warrior Traditions program is a support group that targets veterans and their spouses who may not understand the complex emotions and reactions they experience in the weeks, months or years after leaving the military.

Their heightened reactions may make them undesirable to employers or strain relationships with friends and family, and lead to substance abuse or other complications that increase the risk of homelessness, the program's coordinators said.

"We're trying to reach them early," said Carla Jurczynski, a former Marine and the program's director. "Before their problems have snowballed into larger and larger problems that over the months and years can lead to homelessness."

The program invites veterans to speak about their wartime experiences with other veterans they can relate to, without strings attached. As they become more comfortable with recognizing their own problems, they are more likely to seek treatment, Jurczynski said.

For veterans in their early 20s, whose regimented military training instilled attitudes of toughness, admitting they may have mental problems is usually the first challenge they have to overcome, the program's coordinators said.

"If you look at this from a broader societal perspective, what 22-year old is going to say, 'let me find myself, let me get help'?" said Carletta Vicain, a coordinator with the program. "Add to that the attitudes they've developed in the military and it's even less likely. They often wait too long to ask for help."

The number of private agencies providing readjustment services for veterans in San Diego is at the highest number the county has ever seen, Jurczynski said, and the cross-agency collaboration is making it easier for advocates to reach out, a shift from previous generations' competitiveness in seeking veteran clients for their services.

Similar agencies like the Soldiers Project, New Directions, and the Focus Project in San Diego help veterans and their families cope with deployment and post-deployment adjustments.

Social workers and homeless service providers assisting veterans say it usually takes years for veterans' financial, mental and social readjustment difficulties to compound and drive them to the streets.

"We know from a historical perspective that it takes time. For people to get into life a little bit and get banged around," Landis said.

But local experts agree that though the numbers are still small as a percentage of the general homeless veteran population, soldiers from the current wars are becoming homeless more quickly than after Vietnam.

"They're not showing up yet," said Yolanda Sidoti, acting coordinator of the San Diego VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans program. "A lot of them are still couch surfing, trying it with families, or trying it with friends."

Precise numbers are hard to come by, but according to the VA, three to four percent of the roughly 130,000 homeless veterans nationwide are veterans of the current wars.

Last week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that the federal government would commit an additional $3.2 billion to prevent homelessness among veterans as the country braces for the surge in soldiers returning with mental health problems like post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Still, veterans will fall through the cracks, experts say. And the increase in homeless veterans is worrisome because it means veterans' readjustment difficulties are starting to compound beyond their ability to address them.

Some tipping points have come earlier than others, but portend what could be in store for many veterans, said Mitchell of the Veterans Village.

Johnathan Pebley, 24, was arrested in March, two hours after being discharged from the Marines following his second tour of duty in Iraq, where he grew accustomed to being constantly on guard against gunfire and mortar attacks.

He was convicted of attempted murder after using a shotgun to fire two warning shots into the ground when the friend he was staying with pulled a knife following a bar fight.

After being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, he was sentenced to a year in prison and was released after six months to enroll in the Veterans Village residential treatment program.

Pebley took a shortcut to homelessness. His mental health issues would likely have led him down a similar path, he said, as his personal relationships deteriorated and his substance abuse worsened for months or years after leaving the military.

"We could do that shit forever," Pebley said of his time in Iraq. "Getting out of it is the problem. Having to adjust is the problem."

Please contact Adrian Florido directly at adrian.florido@voiceofsandiego.org and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/adrianflorido. And set the tone of the debate with a letter to the editor.

NYC Parade Marshal and CJ-involved Vets

Veterans Day's good Samaritan

Treatment leader to marshal parade

BY Leigh Remizowski

Tuesday, November 10th 2009, 9:48 AM

New York Daily News

CAROL DAVIDSON runs a tight ship - so much so, that even combat veterans refer to her as "Top Sergeant."

But to many of the more than 100 vets at Samaritan Village, a group of substance abuse treatment centers, she's just "Ma."

Davidson is director of veteran services at centers in Richmond Hill and Manhattan.

She was tapped as Grand Marshal of tomorrow's 90th New York City Veterans Day parade in honor of the 10 years she has spent serving veterans.

"I was a teenage substance abuser. I'm from the Vietnam era, and my dad is a World War II veteran," said Davidson, 56, a career social worker. "It makes sense that I ended up here."

The two residential treatment centers she runs offer what Davidson calls "therapeutic community treatment" to veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and end up turning to drugs or alcohol to cope.

Each houses about 50 veterans, many of whom were sent there by a court mandate. Most vets entering the program have fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, but several recent graduates served in Vietnam.

"The older guys get a pride and sense of meaning and the younger guys look up to them," Davidson said.
"We're a big family."

Guy Smith, 62, served in Vietnam for a year in 1968. The guilt he felt about returning home when many of his fellow soldiers died led him to a life of "self-medication," he said.

"I sold drugs, went to jail and carried a gun," said Smith. "I didn't think anything was wrong with me."

It took Smith more than 30 years to realize that he suffered from PTSD - a diagnosis that didn't exist when he returned from Vietnam.

"I'm so glad for the young guys," Smith said. "They don't have to wait for help. Help is here."

Davidson calls the treatment centers "sanctuaries" - places veterans can talk about the things that they saw in combat.

"War heroes don't want to tell you about their experiences because they don't want to put those pictures in your mind," she said. "They feel it's their burden to carry."

Shawn G., of Cambria Heights, is currently enrolled in the veteran's program. He joined the Marines in 2003 and served two tours of duty in Iraq, where he began drinking heavily.

When he returned to Queens in 2007, he had nightmares he felt no one would understand and rarely went out without a pistol. Last year, he was arrested for carrying a loaded shotgun into a cab.

In May, the Queens district attorney ordered that Shawn get treatment at Samaritan Village.

"It didn't seem real coming from jail to a place where people understand me," he said.

At both centers, there is a bond between Vietnam veterans and those returning from war today. Davidson calls the older men "role models for recovery."

"Never again will a generation of veterans leave another behind," she said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2009/11/10/2009-11-10_veterans_days_good_samaritan_.html?print=1&page=all#ixzz0WVWglXEY

Rep Joe Sestak Remembers Incarcerated Vets

The Delaware County Daily Times (delcotimes.com)

Sestak aims to help imprisoned vets

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
By TIMOTHY LOGUE
tlogue@delcotimes.com

Looking to combat growing problems of homelessness, substance abuse and crime among veterans, U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak is trying to make sure incarcerated vets with service-related injuries and impairments receive proper medical treatment while behind bars.

The congressman wants Veterans Administration doctors to communicate and share records with physicians at local, state and federal prisons who are charged with the care of veterans who were disabled as a result of their military service.

“I am not defending criminal behavior of any kind,” Sestak, D-7, of Edgmont, said in an open letter to Gen. Eric Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs. “I do believe that those who volunteer to defend our nation and become disabled in our service, particularly with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) need to be provided with the care appropriate to their injuries. At present, we have a seam in the administration of care for those veterans should they be incarcerated.”

Sestak said many incarcerated vets are receiving improper medical treatment that makes them more likely to reoffend upon release.

“PTSD is the signature issue of this war,” said Sestak, a retired Navy admiral. “Many of our young men and women are coming home, not getting the care they need, and then seeking comfort in drugs and alcohol. Once they become hooked, they are committing crimes to support their habit. It’s a trail we want to stop.”

Sestak met with members of Shinseki’s staff about his proposal last week and said the response was positive.

“The general has already stated his goal of eradicating homelessness among veterans in the next five years and I think what we’re trying to accomplish goes hand in hand,” he said.

Vietnam veteran Thomas Clay of Media, who spent 21 months in the hospital recovering from machine gun wounds he suffered during the Tet Offensive in 1968, said Sestak’s proposal makes sense.

“As long as you have the person’s consent, I think those records should follow them wherever they go,” Clay said. “A lot of people who returned from Vietnam in the late ’60s and early ’70s came back with drug problems and medical problems that went untreated.”

Clay said advances in body armor are saving the lives of soldiers and Marines who would have been killed in previous wars. The trade-off for those that survive, however, is often some type of brain injury.

“People don’t realize the long-term effects of concussions,” he said. “These are injuries that can last for months and months and never really heal.”

Sestak said he also supports special courts for wayward veterans who commit nonviolent crimes.

“I think it can be combined with the mental health court,” he said. “We know that 20 percent of our active force and 32 percent of our National Guard force are coming home with PTSD,” he said. “It makes sense that we have a (system) in place that takes into account what they have been through.”

Joseph Rogers, president of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said a veterans court could cut down on recidivism and save money.

“Different communities have been using mental health courts for some time,” he said. “Most of the crimes are nonviolent and the largest percentage of cases are drug-related. With the high cost of incarceration, if you can divert these people effectively and show the diversion works, it can be an useful alternative.”

Sestak said 46 percent of veterans in federal prison and 15 percent of veterans in state prison are incarcerated for drug violations.

Of that population, 61 percent meet the American Psychiatric Association’s criteria for substance dependence or abuse.

“Simply stated, we must do more to help ensure that those who specialize in treating service-related illnesses can help rehabilitate our veterans who suffer from these illnesses before they are incarcerated,” Sestak said.

URL: http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2009/11/10/news/doc4af8f02706afb751180934.prt

Harry Mitchell and Incarcerated Veterans

Below is the Veterans' Day "Mitchell Report". Didn't know Harry was on all these veterans' affairs committees. 

He's another person we should be talking to about incarcerated veterans, since they make up about 9% of the US prison population. How long have we been sending the same people off to war? Entering nine years, now. Drugs a problem among soldiers and vets? Surprise, surprise.


C'mon, Harry. This is all fine and dandy - and maybe I missed something - but at least give our brothers and sisters inside a salute for their service, too. We shouldn't have to dig that deep to find a place in our hearts for them, nor should you.

We'll be in touch soon.

(That's a cue to AZ voters to call his office this week - if you're reading this blog, live in AZ and don't meet the Governor's car with me tomorrow, then you owe our imprisoned veterans a call to Harry, at least. The Democrats do have Congress, and he's got something to do with all this.)

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The Mitchell Report.

Tuesday, 10 November 2009 17:12

Veterans Day Update U.S Congressman Harry Mitchell is Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations and represents more than 65,000 veterans.  Mitchell understands the importance of providing our veterans with the benefits they deserve. "The men and women of the armed forces have been made a promise that if they defend our country in military service, we will provide them with the benefits they have earned." -Congressman Harry Mitchell Below is an update on the work Congressman Mitchell is doing on the behalf of veterans in Arizona and across the nation: President Obama Thanks Congressman Mitchell for Leadership on Veterans Issues August 17, 2009 "We will fulfill our responsibility to our veterans as they return to civilian life.  I was proud to co-sponsor the Post-9/11 GI Bill as a senator.  Thanks to VFW members across the country-and leaders like Arizona's Harry Mitchell in Congress-it's now the law of the land.  And as President, I'm committed to seeing that it is successfully implemented." -President Barack Obama, Remarks to National VFW Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, August 3, 2009 President Barack Obama today gave a shoutout to Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., for his work on the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, which went into effect Saturday. Obama was speaking at a G.I. Bill event at George Mason University in the Washington, DC, suburb of Fairfax, Va. Obama mentioned Mitchell as one of the original bill sponsors who couldn't attend the event. "All of them worked hard along with the delegation that is present, so we are very grateful to all of them," Obama said. -Arizona Republic Mitchell Earns American Legion ‘Distinguished Legislator' Award The American Legion Department of Arizona presented Mitchell with its Distinguished Legislator Award for his work on behalf of our nation's veterans.  Mitchell accepted the award in Glendale on Saturday, June 18 2009 and addressed the organization at its annual convention. "I am honored to be recognized by the American Legion and proud of the work we have done on behalf of veterans in Arizona and across the nation. Our veterans have stood for us and it is our duty to stand for them." Mitchell said. Veterans Funding Update This year's veteran's budget has increased the investment in veterans' health care and services by 60 percent since January 2007, including the largest single increase in the 78-year history of the VA. This funding has strengthened health care for more than 5 million veterans, resulting in the addition of 17,000 new doctors and nurses, and more Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and new Vet Centers.  It has been critical to meeting the needs of the 363,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in need of care over the last three years.  This funding also is expanding mental health screening and treatment -- vital to the many veterans suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. Congress has recently enacted a law that paves the way for ensuring sufficient, timely and predictable funding for veterans' health care, a key priority of many veterans' groups.  This law authorizes Congress to approve VA medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year. In 2007, Congress enacted the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, which addressed the problems and gaps in care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other military health care facilities.  VA and the Defense Department are implementing electronic health records to give service members a single, accurate, paperless health record to smooth the transition from the Armed Forces to the VA system. Rep. Mitchell Helps Secure Passage of Major Veterans Legislation Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 -H.R. 1016 On Thursday, October 22, 2009, President Obama signed into law H.R. 1016, which Congressman proudly cosponsored.  The new law authorizes Congress to approve Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care appropriations one year in advance of the start of each fiscal year.  An advance appropriation provides VA with up to one year in which to plan how to deliver the most efficient and effective care to an increasing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions. Service Members Homeownership Tax Act - H.R. 3590 Congressman Mitchell supported this bill which, along with stabilizing out nations housing industry, ensures our honorable service men and women can take full advantage of the first-time homebuyer tax credit. Current law requires first-time homebuyers who use the $8,000 tax credit to repay the credit if they move from their principal residence within three years of closing. The Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act of 2009, if enacted, would exclude service members from the repayment of the tax credit if their orders require travel.  The bill passed by a vote of 416-0, and is now pending before Senate. Military Spouses Residency Relief Act - H.R. 1182/S.475. The Service Members Spouses Residency Relief Act allows service members to maintain their residency for certain purposes - such as voting, income taxes, and personal property taxes - in a state from which they are absent in compliance with military orders.  The House approved this measure on November 2. 2009 and it is now pending before the Senate. Veterans Retraining Act of 2009- H.R. 1168 This bill authorizes the Labor Department to pay a monthly training assistance allowance of upwards of $1,400 for each month, up to 6 months every 10 years, which a veteran is enrolled in an employment-training program that teaches a skill in demand. It also provides a moving stipend of up to $5,000 for moving expenses directly related to training. The bill passed by a vote of 356-0 and it is now pending before the Senate. FY 2010 Military Construction/VA Appropriations - H.R. 3082 The FY 2010 VA Appropriations bill contained the largest veterans funding increase ever requested by a President.  The House approved a bill that provides a path to restoring and revitalizing the services provided to veterans by adding $14.5 billion above fiscal year 2009.  In addition to appropriations for fiscal year 2010, it includes advance appropriations for 2011.  Congress has provided $17.7 billion over the last two years, and once enacted, H.R. 3082 will amount to a 58% increase since 2007.  The bill passed by a vote of 415-3, and is now pending before Senate. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - H.R. 1 The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was honored our veterans by provided a $1.4 billion increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs for maintenance at VA medical facilities, construction of veterans' extended care facilities, and veteran cemetery repairs.  It provided an economic stimulus payment of $250 to disabled veterans receiving VA compensation or pension.  The bill passed the House and was signed into law by the President in February. Keeping the Promises Made to Veterans Electronic Medical Records: The House Veterans Affairs Committee is continuing to monitor the progress being made to ensure an interoperable electronic health record system between the DOD and the VA.  President Obama ordered the agencies to work together to define and build a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic record that will ultimately contain administrative and medical information from the day an individual enters military service throughout their military career, and into the veteran phase of life. New Diseases Associated with Agent Orange: An independent study by the Institute of Medicine indicates an association with several diseases linked to exposure to Agent Orange. VA Secretary Shinseki has announced that Vietnam Veterans with B cell leukemia's, such as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease with these diseases may be eligible for disability compensation and health care benefits. Ensuring Veterans receive their GI Bill Benefits: The G.I Bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell in the House of Representatives and Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) in the Senate to provide veterans with enhanced new education benefits beginning this fall. On August 1, 2009, veterans started receiving college education benefits under the new Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.  When news broke about delays of GI Bill benefits for veterans, Mitchell demanded accountability from the Department of Veterans Affairs at a Congressional hearing, as well as a plan to ensure veterans receive their benefits in a timely manner.  No veteran should have their education delayed. Not by one semester. Advance payments on late claims are being issued by U. S. Treasury within 3 workdays following submission of this request. For further information call 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to speak with a Veterans Benefits Counselor. You can also visit the VA's GI Bill website. DOD Announces Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay The Defense Department announced plans to provide Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay to service members who had their enlistment extended or retirement suspended due to Stop Loss between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009. Eligible personnel will receive a payment of $500 per month for each month that the member was retained on active duty due to Stop Loss. For additional information: Army: https://www.stoplosspay.army.mil Navy:  send email to - NXAG_N132C@navy.milNXAG_N132C@navy.mil This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Marine Corps:  https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss Air Force:  http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss VA Oversight: Solutions and Accountability for Veterans Mitchell's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations provides oversight on programs and operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as those of other federal agencies that pertain to veterans. In carrying out its responsibilities, the Subcommittee conducts hearings, site visits, and investigations nationwide.  Chairman Mitchell has held a series of oversight hearings to measure program results, end waste, and provide accountability for the American taxpayer. Recent Oversight and Investigations Hearings: Oversight Hearing - "Senior Executive Service Bonuses and Other Administrative Issues at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs" Chairman Mitchell's opening statement Webcast of hearing Oversight Hearing - "The Implications of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Limited      Scope of Gulf War Illness Research" Chairman Mitchell's opening statement Webcast of the hearing