Some states are beginning to make changes in sentencing laws to allow judges to take military service-related injuries, such as PTSD and TBI, into account when considering all of the aggravating and mitigating factors that go into an informed decision on proper punishment.
Further Reading
“Justice In Review: New Trends in State Sentencing and Corrections 2014-2015” by Rebecca Silber, Ram Subramanian, and Maia Spotts, Vera Institute of Justice (2015)
This report analyzes the state-level changes in sentencing and corrections laws enacted in 2014 and 2015 and attempts to serve as a practical guide for other state and federal policymakers. Read the full report.
“Laws Encourage Alternatives to Prison for Veterans with PTSD” by Anna Gronewold, The Associated Press (2016)
This article discusses the case of former Army sergeant Joshua Eisenhauer, who believed he was protecting fellow soldiers from a Taliban bomber when he shot at police and firefighters responding to a fire in his apartment, and how North Carolina is considering enabling judges to consider PTSD as a specific mitigating factor when sentencing military veterans. Read the full article.