Estimating the Lifetime Prevalence of Incarceration in the U.S. Veteran Population

This brief report estimates the lifetime prevalence of incarceration among U.S. military veterans using data from three nationally representative U.S. samples: the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS; n = 4069), the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III; n = 3119 veterans, and the National Veteran Homeless and Other Poverty Experiences (NV-HOPE; n = 1004). Across the three surveys, 3.5–10.6% (weighted mean = 9.8%) of U.S. veterans reported they had been incarcerated some time in their lives for an average of 16.7 to 45.6 months (weighted mean = 42.4). Among black veterans, the lifetime prevalence of incarceration ranged from 2.9 to 10.6% (weighted mean = 13.4%) and among white veterans, the lifetime prevalence of incarceration ranged from 3.5 to 14.6% (weighted mean = 9.7%). These contemporary estimates of incarceration among U.S. veterans highlight racial disparities and the extent of incarceration in this population, which may influence access to employment, housing, and healthcare.