We ask young men and women to serve the country.
Then, when some of them come home carrying the damage of that service, we act shocked when they struggle to survive civilian life.
The American justice system operates on a devastating paradox. We train people for war, condition them for danger, praise them for endurance, and then punish them when the war follows them home as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, addiction, anger, homelessness, or legal trouble.
Recent studies show that about one-third of veterans report having been arrested at some point in their lives, compared with about one-fifth of non-veterans.
That does not mean military service alone causes crime. But it does mean something is deeply wrong when so many people who wore the uniform later find themselves in handcuffs, courtrooms, jails, or prisons.
The pipeline from service to incarceration is real enough that we should stop pretending patriotism ends at the welcome-home ceremony.
Key stat: About 1 in 3 veterans report a history of arrest.
Source note: Council on Criminal Justice, Veterans Justice Commission.
