Post 204 Brings American Legion Outreach to Prison
By Sharon Kirkpatrick
In August 2018, a Woman Veteran in WA State would have become another homeless statistic after completing a sentence in the Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women in Belfair, WA. Releasing back to the community with nowhere to live is not uncommon. But there is hope and help for our Women Veterans who have served their country and now faced serving time.
The women we see in our Incarcerated Women Veterans Program are those who make a commitment to serve and many decide the military will be their career, but things can sometimes go very wrong. These women may become victims of Military Sexual Trauma (MST) or health issues related to their service, and their lives and dreams are changed forever. Their efforts to manage their experiences can sometimes take a twisted turn, and the results can be bad decisions that lead to incarceration. With collaboration and outreach with Department of Corrections, American Legion, WA State Department of Veterans Affairs, and volunteers, they receive assistance in a unique program that identifies, meets with, and advises Women Veterans in prison. They can be referred for residence in transitional housing for Women Veterans where they will have access to counseling, benefits, and a healthy environment. They become able to work, go to school, and apply for benefits with assistance from service officers who a part of the team.
This invisible population of Women Veterans who are incarcerated is part of the growing population of Veterans who made a right choice in their lives by signing up, but unfortunately made a wrong choice after their service. The American Legion and its service officers know the story well. Claims for benefits after experiencing physical and mental injuries are crucial steps to healing those who have suffered and sometimes never recovered. How do our sister and brother Veterans find help? The Incarcerated Veterans Outreach (IVO) program is a part of the solution.
Outreach is a hallmark of the American Legion mission, and as members we reach out and touch lives. Our collaboration with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs is a touchstone of excellence. Under the leadership of WDVA Director Lourdes “Alfie” Alvarado Ramos, and the Women Veterans Advisory Committee, monthly meetings are held inside two women’s prisons in WA. Current DOC statistics reflect the numbers – at any given time, 30 Women Veterans (there may be many more who do not come forward) are incarcerated. This group has been meeting for over 6 years. The Department of Corrections (DOC) has a policy in place to address this need – Incarcerated Veterans DOC 310-140, which requires all Superintendents to provide a program addressing the needs of Veterans in their facilities. The VA also has regulations in place to ensure Veterans can receive a physical exam for purposes of claim verification when they are out. However, if a Veteran is already receiving benefits, they are taken away until they are released. This is also a benefit for Veterans who are incarcerated; otherwise, the VA would say “you owe us” and that would be another hurdle after their release.
Our monthly meetings are supervised by DOC staff personnel. We have an in-house liaison, Jasmine Remick, who is a Veteran herself. She coordinates the “call-out”, which allows our Women Veterans to participate. The meetings are well attended, and include guest speakers, service officers, and community resource materials. We have seen over 250 Women Veterans since the beginning of these meetings in 2012. Our Post Commander, Carrol Stripling, has conducted Post meetings with the group at Purdy.
We briefed Governor Inslee about incarcerated Women Veterans and our support groups at Purdy and Mission Creek. In addition to providing outreach, KING5-TV provided coverage on our group: http://www.king5.com/video/news/local/state-offers-veteran-inmates-extra....
The best news of all is that we have many success stories. We have helped to bring our Women Veteran’s housing, employment, counseling, and VA benefits. Our rate of return to prison for these Women Veterans is ZERO! Recidivism is non-existent when Veterans are provided with the help they need and deserve. Our Veterans have moved on to lives that include employment in the finest downtown Seattle steakhouses to becoming a member of Pacific Northwest Ironworkers Union Local 86. We have 10 women who have joined our Post. Upon reflection, many of us could say, “There but for the grace of God go I.” One could also reflect on the American Legion mission, “The American Legion was chartered and incorporated by Congress in 1919 as a patriotic Veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness. It is the nation’s largest wartime Veterans service organization, committed to mentoring youth and sponsorship of wholesome programs in our communities, advocating patriotism and honor, promoting strong national security, and continued devotion to our fellow Service Members and Veterans.” That really sums up the mission of our incarcerated Veterans group as well.
If you would like more information, please contact Washington Department of Veterans Affairs www.dva.wa.gov