Brought to you by National Institute of Corrections:

Strengthening Veteran Identification Efforts

Date and Time: March 19, 2026
at 9 am PT / 10 am MT /11 am CT / 12 pm ET for 90 minutes.

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) Veterans Network launched a series of three webinars this year that highlighted services for veterans who have become negatively involved in the criminal justice system. The next webinar will be An Introduction to Strengthening Veteran Identification Efforts. Identification is a critical first step to connecting at-risk veterans with the services and treatment they have earned.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Studies show that deployment-related trauma exposure, combined with increased incidence of mental health and substance use disorders, elevate veterans’ risk of contact with the justice system. For example, one study showed that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder had a 61% higher chance of criminal justice system involvement than veterans without PTSD. Another study found that justice-involved veterans were almost three times as likely as other veterans to have attempted suicide in their lifetime.

These early stages of the criminal justice process are critical, as they provide a key opportunity to identify the challenges facing veterans and to connect them to services and benefits tailored to help them address those challenges.

Series Take-Aways

This interactive webinar will cover several topics to get you started with beginning (or improving existing) identification efforts in your organization, office, or community. Participants will:

• Discover how identification efforts can give your organization more visibility with at-risk and vulnerable veterans in your community.
• Recognize how identification processes can ensure veterans can assess the treatment and programs they need.

Learn about the Department of Veterans Affairs tools, Veterans Reentry Search Service and Status Query and Response Exchange System (SQUARES) that allow law enforcement, jails, prisons, and courts to independently verify the veteran status of individuals.

Speakers:

Matt Doss

Program Manager, Project Lead Illinois Veteran Deflection, TASC’s Center for Health and Justice

Katie Wilson

Indiana Court of Technology, Office of Judicial Administration, Indiana Supreme Court

Kari Jackson

Local Inmate Data System (LIDS) Manager, Virginia State Compensation Board

Stephani Carlton

Statewide Veterans Service Manager, Virginia Department of Corrections

Also including NIC Staff:

Jim Wiseman, National Programs Advisor, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice

Jeff Hanson, National Programs Advisor, National Institute of Corrections, U.S. Department of Justice

Who Should Attend?

Law enforcement, corrections staff, court and legal representatives (defenders and prosecutors), social workers, justice program managers, staff from state veterans affairs departments, and advocates working directly with veterans involved in the criminal justice system.

How Do I Register?

Follow this link to register in NIC’s WebEx Event Center

Register for the Webinar