Homelessness and Contact with the Criminal Legal System among U.S. Combat Veterans: An Exploration of Potential Mediating Factors

• Author: Ugur Orak,Katherine Kelton,Michael G. Vaughn,Jack Tsai,Robert H. Pietrzak
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00938548221140352
• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Date: 01 March 2023
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2023, Vol. 50, No. 3, March 2023, 392 –409.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00938548221140352

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2022 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

392

HOMELESSNESS AND CONTACT WITH THE

CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM AMONG U.S.

COMBAT VETERANS

An Exploration of Potential Mediating Factors

UGUR ORAK

Middle Tennessee State University

KATHERINE KELTON

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

South Texas Health System

MICHAEL G. VAUGHN

Saint Louis University

JACK TSAI

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

ROBERT H. PIETRZAK

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Yale School of Medicine

Yale School of Public Health

A notable proportion of criminal legal system (CLS)-involved combat veterans have a history of homelessness. However,

knowledge regarding the relationship between homelessness and CLS involvement among combat veterans is largely based

on descriptive studies, and potential mechanisms linking homelessness to CLS involvement are largely unknown. Using data

from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (n = 1,353), this study examined the association

between homelessness and contact with CLS among U.S. combat veterans and evaluated the mediating roles of shared risk

factors. Findings revealed that a large proportion (53.6%) of the association between homelessness and CLS involvement was

AUTHORS’ NOTE: For all analyses in this study, the authors used data from The National Health and

Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS). NHRVS is funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

National Center for PTSD, which had no role in the design, analysis, or interpretation of this study. The

views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department

of Veterans Affairs. No funds, grants, or other support were received to assist with the preparation of this

manuscript. The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. The data that sup-

port the findings of this study are available from Robert Pietrzak, Ph.D., MPH at robert.pietrzak@yale.edu

upon reasonable request. (https://www.vacsp.research.va.gov/CSPEC/Studies/INVESTD-R/Ntl-Health-

Resilience-Veterans-Study.asp). Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ugur Orak,

Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Middle Tennessee State University, 1301 East Main Street,

Murfreesboro, TN 37132; e-mail: ugur.orak@mtsu.edu.

1140352CJBXXX10.1177/00938548221140352Criminal Justice and BehaviorOrak et al. / Veterans, Homelessness, and Criminal Legal System

research-article2022

Orak et al. / VETERANS, HOMELESSNESS, AND CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM 393

accounted for by indirect associations, most notably via drug use disorder (22.1%), moral injury (11.4%), and alcohol use

disorder (10.7%). These findings highlight modifiable mechanisms that may link homelessness to CLS involvement, which

may help inform targeted prevention efforts to mitigate the risk for CLS involvement among combat veterans.

Keywords: criminal legal system; veterans; homelessness; combat; mediating factors

INTRODUCTION

Homelessness and criminal legal system (CLS) involvement act as risk factors for one

another, such that individuals experiencing homelessness are more likely to become CLS-

involved and those with former CLS involvement are more likely to become homeless

(Edwards, Barnes, et al., 2021; Finlay et al., 2016; Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2008).

According to the results of different studies, it is estimated that between 25% and 75% of

CLS-involved veterans experience homelessness both prior to and after incarceration (Blue-

Howells et al., 2019). In a national sample of veterans who received Health Care for

Re-Entry Veterans outreach services, for instance, 30% of veterans in prison had a history

of homelessness and were experiencing homelessness at the time of their incarceration (Tsai

et al., 2014). After incarceration, national data suggest that about 25% of veterans experi-

enced homelessness in the year after they received outreach from Veteran Justice Outreach

programs (Finlay et al., 2016). Many veterans are caught in a cycle of contact with the CLS,

with the majority having at least one prior incarceration and 43% having been arrested four

or more times (Bronson et al., 2015).

Studies conducted on the general homeless population emphasize that CLS involvement

usually results from the psychosocial risk factors associated with homelessness—such as

poor health, substance abuse, and severe mental health problems—rather than the state of

homelessness itself (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2008). In addition to the association between

homelessness and these psychosocial outcomes, homelessness may also prevent individuals

from effectively coping with the existing stressors, which in turn may lead to criminal path-

ways as an alternative coping strategy. In comparison to the general population, multiple

studies have found a higher prevalence of homeless individuals with mental illnesses in the

CLS (Solomon & Draine, 1999; White et al., 2006). Overall, the findings of the extant

research imply that homelessness may lead to CLS involvement through mediating factors

such as mental health and substance use. Although there is ample evidence showing com-

mon risk factors associated with both homelessness and CLS involvement among combat

veterans (Edwards, Dichiara, et al., 2021) their intersection is largely under-examined and

potential mechanisms linking homelessness to CLS involvement remain largely unex-

plored. Elucidation of mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between homeless-

ness and CLS involvement among combat veterans has implications for building a more

comprehensive model of care and addressing psychosocial and clinical risk factors amena-

ble to interventions such as psychotherapy or case management.

RISK FACTORS FOR HOMELESSNESS AND CLS INVOLVEMENT

Substance use is one of the major risk factors for CLS involvement (Finlay et al., 2019)

and CLS-involved veterans have the highest rates of alcohol and drug use disorders (DUDs)

within the veteran population, with rates as high as 71% and 65%, respectively (Blodgett