A Social Capital Approach to Assisting Veterans Through Recovery and Desistance Transitions in Civilian Life

Katherine Albertson, Jamie Irving, David Best

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleOtherpeer-review

22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

While only a minority of veterans experience transitional difficulties after military service, there is increasing recognition of the unique challenges that some veterans face, including involvement with the criminal justice system, mental health problems and substance misuse. There is growing acknowledgment that both recovery from substance misuse and desistance from crime are lived transitional processes grounded in social relationships and community. This article reports on the potential of the comradeship and mutual resilience that underpin military life being redirected to support recovery and desistance journeys, through assertive linkage to peer support and community activities, describing a new initiative and an innovative evaluation model.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)384-396
Number of pages13
JournalThe Howard Journal of Criminal Justice
Volume54
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2015
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Desistance from crime
  • Recovery
  • Social capital
  • Veterans in the criminal justice system

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