Research out of the United States has reported that Veteran offenders have complex needs that are affected by a variety of factors such as homelessness and trauma exposure. To learn more about the Veteran offender population in Canada, and ultimately provide them with better support, Correctional Service of Canada and Veterans Affairs Canada formed a working group to identify action items, establish priority areas, and explore research projects in this area.

What is this Research About?

This study provides the first in-depth examination of the profile characteristics of Canadian  male Veteran offenders in federal institutions, as well as their experiences while in custody and after their release.

What did the Researchers Do?

The researchers examined the intake files of male offenders admitted to federal institutions from August 2014 to March 2018. During the study period, 374 of the male offenders self-reported being Veterans compared with 14,471 male non-Veterans. The researchers examined information about their demographics, sentence and offence information, institutional behaviour (e.g., behavioural incidents), and post-release outcomes (e.g., returns to custody).

What did the Researchers Find?

Male Veterans accounted for 2.5% of federal male offenders admitted during the study period

Com­pared with non-Veterans, Veteran offenders:

• were more likely to be serving sentences for violent offences, particularly sex-related offences
• were older at admission (44 years vs. 36 years)
• were more likely to report a past diagnosis of depression and/or a current mental illness
• had more stable institutional behaviour (e.g., fewer positive urinalysis tests; fewer  guilty disciplinary charges; and fewer institutional inci­dents)
• were less likely to enroll in correctional programming or participate in education or  employ­ment initiatives while in custody.

After their release, com­pared with non-Veterans, Veteran offenders:

• were less likely to be employed 
• were more likely to have barriers to employment  
• had fewer suspensions of release and returns to custody 
• were lower risk to reoffend (based on the Criminal Risk Index)

Findings will inform development of policies and programs that support the Veteran offender population.

Source

MacDonald S, Cram S, Derkzen D, Pound T and Mooz M. Characteristics, Institutional Behaviour, and Post-release Outcomes  of federal Veteran and non-Veteran Men Offenders. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. 2022  https://jmvfh.utpjournals.press/doi/full/10.3138/jmvfh-2021-0103