One in 10 Death Row Inmates Are US Military Veterans, Report Says Mark Berman - The Washington Post
go to original November 12, 2015

10% of U.S. Death Row Inmates are Military Veterans, Study Says (NewsBeat Social)

One-tenth of those who currently on death row in the United States are military veterans, including some with post-traumatic stress disorder that was not factored into their sentences, according to a new report released ahead of Veterans Day.

This report arrives as the country’s use of the death penalty is simultaneously declining and facing increased scrutiny, something that has been argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and on the presidential campaign trail this year.

While it is not known exactly how many veterans have been sentenced to death, the report released Tuesday by the Death Penalty Information Center says that about 300 of the country’s more than 3,000 death-row inmates have served in the military. It goes on to argue that a person’s military service should be factored into a possible sentence, particularly if the person facing trial has shown signs of trauma and possible post-traumatic stress disorder.

“At a time in which the death penalty is being imposed less and less, it is disturbing that so many veterans who were mentally and emotionally scarred while serving their country are now facing execution,” Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said in a statement.

The number of people put to death is falling nationwide, as are the number of death sentences handed down and the number of states carrying out executions. So far this year, 25 people have been executed, and the country is likely to have fewer executions this year than it has in nearly a quarter of a century.

Read the rest at The Washington Post

Related: Virginia Just Became the First State in the US to End Veteran Homelessness (Policy.Mic)

Related: US Senate OKs Medical Pot for Veterans (U.S.News)

Related: White House Announces In-State Tuition for U.S. Veterans, Families (Reuters)

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!