Homeless veterans

Veterans are 50 percent more likely to become homeless compared to all Americans, and the risk is even greater among minority veterans, female veterans (5% of all veterans), and veterans living in poverty (HUD-VASH report, 2011). However, because people move in and out of homelessness (68% have been homeless for less than a year) estimates for the annual number of homeless veterans in any moderate metropolitan are staggering. While the homeless veteran population has decreased from 25% to 18% since 2007, in 2009 75,609 veterans were homeless and an estimated 136,334 veterans spent at least one night in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program between 2008 and 2009 (HUD-VASH report, 2011).

 

Forty-eight percent of the homeless reported a mental health problem, and 28% reported a substance abuse problem, though the actual numbers are most likely higher. Thirty-seven percent of homeless veterans reported they do not receive Food Stamps, WIC, TANF, SSI/SSD, Medicaid/Medicare, Social Security, Rental Assistance nor Veteran’s Benefits.

 

Recidivism rates

According to Beard, Johnson, and Kemp (2003), “Over 2,000,000 Americans are either in jail or incarcerated in some type of correctional institution” (p. 4). The majority (i.e., 70%) are of minority populations (Beard, Johnson, & Kemp, 2003). At least 10% of the total incarcerated population are military veterans. Beard et al. (2003) held that by locking up more individuals for longer periods of time has failed to prepare these individuals for re-entry into society and thus recidivism is likely.

 

The prison system has incarcerated more individuals for longer periods of time than anytime in history. Federal and state prison populations doubled from 1930-1980 and from 1980-1993 the population tripled (Beard, Johnson, & Kemp, 2003). According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (1998) report, between 1990 and 1997, there was a 39% increase in the number of offenders returned to prison for parole violations, as compared to a 4% increase in new court commitments.

 

"Despite massive increases in state spending on prisons, America’s national recidivism rate is stubbornly high; more than four in 10 offenders returned to state prison within three years of their release" (Pew Charitable Trusts, 2011). One study across 15 states followed offenders for three years after their release from prison to monitor re-arrests for any type of crime. As a group, 43% of sex offenders were rearrested for crimes other than sex offenses, compared to 68% for offenders who were not sex offenders. For those originally convicted of violent crimes, the rate was 62%; for property crimes the rate was 74%; for drug crimes it was 67%; and for public-order crimes the rate of re-arrests was 62% (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2003).

 

Nevada is one of the fastest growing states in the nation and has a large transient population (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2005). In 2005, approximately 40% of all crime in Nevada was categorized as violent crime; males accounting for 31% of repeat violent crimes, and females accounting for 50% of repeat violent crimes (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2005). Yet the numbers have increased. The Pew Charitable Trusts' Public Safety Performance project stated, “Nevada’s prison population is almost 13,000, projected to grow by 27 percent by 2011” which “places Nevada among the top 10 states for prison growth” (Goldman, 2007, p. 2).

 

According to Hansen (2008), Chief U.S. Probation Officer, “there are 17,000 [former]-offenders living in the Nevada community” (personal communication, 2008). Of that population, 2,890 are federal offenders and 14,110 are state offenders. There are 1,160 veterans incarcerated in the Nevada Department of Corrections. Hansen further stated that “a total of 64% [17% federal and 47% state] of the Nevadan offender population are expected to recidivate, annually” (personal communication, 2008).

 

Randall Shelden, a UNLV criminal justice professor, maintained “the cost of operating America’s penal system exceeds $60 billion a year, up more than 1,500 percent in the past 30 years” (Goldman, 2007, p. 2). Sheldon stated that “has squeezed the coffers of many states whereby Nevada’s Department of Corrections’ budget for fiscal 2007 is approximately $258 million” (Goldman, 2007, p. 2).

 

Based on the above is why it is important that WRRP assist others in tackling the homeless veteran and recidivism problems. 

 

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