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VA Offering Special Dormitories in Florida’s Prisons for Incarcerated Veterans

An article in The Orlando Sentinel detailed how Florida's Department of Corrections is providing U.S. veterans with the ability to live together in the state's prisons. This is a separate option offered to veterans in trouble with the law and not related to the established veterans court.

Veteran status does not equate to automatic qualification for the living quarters. The specialized dormitories will be reserved for those incarcerated veterans who can verify their service and were separated from their respective branches within the previous 3 years.

The idea behind housing the eligible veterans together is so the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the ability to discuss with them about available programs and what benefits they will be able to receive based on their imprisonment. The unit will operate somewhat differently than normal units as guards will have a military background. Further, everyday living routines for the veterans are different from other inmates, and will include:

• flag raising and retiring ceremonies;
• using military standards to maintain jail-issued clothing and living quarters;
• vocational and academic program access; and
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling.

Florida institutions house about 101,000 inmates. Of those, about 6,700 are veterans. Currently there are only 5 prisons that offer such living conditions, which include Gulf, Santa Rosa, Martin, Lowell, and Sumter.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.