Not-so-special forces? Revisiting the “veteran effect” in the context of prison research

Abstract

PurposePrior studies of incarcerated military veterans center on the notion that they are fundamentally different from non-veterans in terms of criminogenic risk. Some scholars have argued that prior military service is a liability in terms of institutional adjustment and may increase the likelihood of experiencing negative outcomes; others have posited that it might serve as an asset and subsequently work to buffer the pains of imprisonment. MethodsOur study contributes to this burgeoning body of research by employing a series of survival analyses to explore the possibility of a “veteran effect” among a sample of veteran and non-veteran offenders in the state of Minnesota. ResultsDespite statistically significant (albeit modest) differences between veterans and non-veterans in the prevalence of theoretically relevant variables, such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, we observed no differences between the two groups regarding the likelihood of experiencing various metrics of institutional adjustment and recidivism. ConclusionsOur findings stand in contrast to those of previous studies on incarcerated veterans and call into question the theoretical assumptions (and the subsequent criminal justice policy on which those assumptions are based) regarding the effects of prior military experience on prison (mal)adjustment.