NPR: The number of military veterans in prison and jail dropped.
NPR: The number of military veterans in prison and jail dropped.
It’s the first government report that includes significant numbers of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — and the findings defy stereotypes that returning war veterans are prone to crime.
The data show that veterans are less likely to be behind bars than non-veterans. The study tracked an estimated 181,500 incarcerated veterans in 2011-2012, 99 percent of whom were male. During that period, veterans made up 8 percent of inmates in local jails and in state and federal prisons, excluding military facilities.
