🇺🇸 Each day this Memorial Week, we’re sharing the words of a living veteran. Someone who served their country and is now incarcerated, waiting to be seen, heard, and remembered. These are real voices from our waiting list. Real people. Still here. Still hoping.

Some people assume that prison is where self-improvement begins.
The truth?
Prison often makes growth nearly impossible.

Joel served in the U.S. Navy and is now serving a 10-year sentence, hundreds of miles from his home in Missouri. His family can’t visit. And while he’s working hard to better himself, the system makes it a constant uphill battle.

I’ve participated in many of the self-help classes here, including Cognitive Intervention, Alcoholics Anonymous, faith-based studies, and veteran groups. But this is a challenging environment to live in and try to better yourself. Gang and drugs are rampant, creating a lot of unrest and violence.

He’s trying, really trying, to grow.

But the environment doesn’t nurture growth. 
And for too many incarcerated veterans, isolation is a second sentence.

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Today’s Fact:

Incarcerated veterans are more likely than non-veterans to be housed far from home, especially if they’re in a specialized unit or program.
This often leads to long stretches with no family visits or outside support, worsening mental health outcomes.

Want to do something about it?

The veteran who shared these words is on our waiting list and could really use a friend.
If you’d like to get connected, or even just send a note of encouragement, contact us and mention his name. We’ll take care of the rest.