Bridging the Gap? Ex-Military Personnel and Military–Civilian Transition Within the Prison Workforce
Abstract: Prior research into military–civilian transition has suggested that the Prison Service may be a popular destination for Armed Forces leavers, but the experience of former military personnel within the prison system as prison staff (rather than as Veterans in Custody) has so far been overlooked. As a result, we know very little about their route into prison work. This article reports on a UK study investigating the experience of prison personnel who have previously served in the military and presents the first set of empirical evidence addressing these critical questions. Whilst our findings mirror prevailing assumptions of a relatively seamless transition to post-military careers (and, in particular, those within Protective Service Occupations), few had intended a career in prison work specifically. Such trajectories may influence personal military–civilian transitions, as well as job performance in prison work and, by extension, the everyday lives of prisoners and other prison staff.
Abstract: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest integrated health care system in the US. However, most enrollees (80%) have other health insurance. Veterans’ selective use of VA health care creates an immense challenge for VA leadership, the scale of which is relatively unknown. The VA allocates substantial resources to improve equitable access, prevent suicides, and provide transparency on hospital quality by analyzing VA-provided and VA-purchased care. These analyses will be inaccurate if patient health and reliance on the VA are linked, especially as the VA expands its role as a payer of care and the recently passed PACT Act brings in younger veterans, who are more likely to have private health insurance. This study investigated whether VA reliance was associated with self-reported health, a predictor of health outcomes, and whether this association varied for individuals with different types of outside insurance using a nationally representative survey.