# Justice Involved Veterans Support Act

Right now, prisons and jails across the country often don't have good systems to identify which inmates are veterans. This bill creates a pilot program to fix that problem. The Attorney General, working with the Veterans Affairs department, would give grants and technical help to state prisons and local jails so they can better track and document when someone in their custody is a veteran.

Why does this matter? About 181,000 veterans are currently incarcerated in the United States, and more than half of them struggle with mental health issues or substance abuse. When prisons and jails don't know someone is a veteran, those people can't access the special benefits and support they're entitled to through the VA. They also might miss out on being referred to veterans treatment courts—special court programs designed specifically for veterans that focus on rehabilitation rather than just punishment. These courts have shown success in helping veterans address the underlying problems that led to their involvement with the criminal justice system.

The bill prioritizes giving grants to prisons and jails in states with the most veterans, states where veterans are living in poverty, and places that already have veterans treatment courts or diversion programs in place. By improving how prisons and jails document and identify veterans, the bill aims to connect incarcerated veterans with the benefits and specialized support they need, both while they're in custody and when they're released back into their communities.

Justice Involved Veterans Support Act

Crow, Jason

Justice Involved Veterans Support Act This bill directs the Department of Justice, in consultation with the Department of Veterans Affairs, to establish a pilot program to improve documentation of whether inmates of state prisons and local jails are veterans.