I don't want to open a can of worms but curiosity compels me to ask whether anyone has ever seen any data that state or suggest that military veterans make up an unusually small percentage of the prison population, whether Texas or national? Again, I'm not suggesting veterans are "better" than anyone else but I have a hunch that something about milityary service may contribute to a person not getting into prison-level trouble later. Of course, Leavenworth is full of military lawbreakers but those people got there while on military duty. I'm wondering about those in civilian prisons. Long ago, when there was a draft, judges sometimes gave young men a choice of the Army or going to prison. Of course, military people resented their ranks being used as a dumping ground this way. On the other hand, there may be some overlooked wisdom to military service as an "innoculation" against future prison terms. Thanks

A google search using terms military veterans incarcerated returned a number of links - how many of them have definitive data I don't know, since I didn't look closely at them. One site quoted a 1995 Washington state study indicating 19% of prison releases were veterans entitled to benefits.

I haven't seen numbers lately, but I know when I started with the agency, we had what seemed like a high number of Vietnam era vets that had big time for small quantities of drugs (remember than at one point in time even a couple of joints could potentially get someone up to 99 years).

By the time Desert Storm and whatever other ventures the govt used the services in had rolled around, you had the scenario where people were getting busted before they had the opportunity to join the services, and when they got out of custody, the presumption was that they were ineligible to join.

Yes, drugs have altered the landscape in many ways but I still consider recreational drug use less than serious criminal behavior, even though the statutes may say differently. Even so, the popularity of drugs in the 60s likely unravelled a lot of military and potential military people. You may recall Juanita Dale Slusher aka Candy Barr (the stripper) got two years for a few pinches of marijuana. Of course, she was imprisoned as much for who she was as for the nature of her "crime." She was released from TDC in the early 60s at a time when spitting on the sidewalk could get you into real trouble. Drugs notwithsstanding, I still have a hunch that ex-military don't rob convenience stores and commit other crimes with the same regularity as other folk.

You know Jim , my husband and I both agree with you, and have disgussed it a number of times. I feel like many young men were saved from a life of crime by being given the old choice of go to jail or join the service. Many drop-outs used to have a chance at life by entering the service and going on to make good of themselves. The young men now have to graduate with good grades before they can enter the service. The school drop out boys don't hardly have a chance in life any more.

Just a side note--those that want to enter the service but have not completed high school should talk to a recruiter about being sponsored by the military in a home-schooled program to receive their diploma. Be careful, though. The curriculums are evaluated when the person tries to enter the services and can be deemed a "test-based" diploma that makes them ineligible for any enlistment bonuses.