On Thursday, April 14, 2022, NJRC (New Jersey Reentry Corporation – www.njreentry.org – founded by former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey) held a conference titled “Trauma, A Hero’s Journey” at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ. Several hundred people were there. It addressed the issues and needs of our homecoming military veterans relating to trauma.
To start, 8% of prison inmates are military veterans, mostly combat. There is something wrong here. The medical field is the group that defined medical conditions may be decades or even centuries ago.
There were testimonies from numerous veterans of personal trauma involving substance abuse, suicide attempts (22 veterans commit suicide per day in the US.), broken marriages, PTSD, alcoholism, breakdowns, homelessness, housing, unemployment, and so much more. We need community support for these vets. They “pretend to be normal.” Rich Liebler, a veteran working in prisons, offered that vets “need a job.” Employers need to be educated on these issues.
These guys are not alone in their suffering. Men with trauma issues are often discharged with “bad papers” (OTH -Other Than Honorable) and get NO benefits back home. The comment was made that the military is not there to heal men. A fighting force is their interest.
Whatever programs we have should be expanded such as veteran diversion program that will keep them out of prison. The question this addresses is why should they go to prison after serving their country when their problems can be addressed? But as we learned from CIVOD-19 compassion fatigue sets in after a while.
So, the government response began with the question: What is the problem? And the answer was that veterans are discharged OTH and are not getting benefits despite serving.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherill, a military veteran herself, said that just recently veterans can get mental help benefits, but they must identify themselves. They cannot get help if no one knows about them.
Victoria Kuhn, Acting Commissioner NJ Department of Corrections stated that vets in prison are a forgotten people. The issue is treatment versus healing. The DOC can control HOW its prisoners are treated.
State Senator Sandra Cunningham asked what legislators can do. There was a program called “Earn Your Way Out,” but then the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way, and nothing has happened.
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