VA Care for Incarcerated Veterans, Gender Gap in Pell Grants & More

“My fears are to continue to suffer through heat without something as simple as ice to cool my body temp from the inside...that people continue to pass from being hot, that I die from heat.”

Incarcerated people at the Central California Women’s Facility endure life-threatening conditions as temperatures soar to 110 degrees, leading to a spike in heat-related deaths, including a recent tragedy on July 4th. Despite these dangers, ineffective cooling measures and inadequate responses from prison staff put vulnerable prisoners, particularly those over 55, at increased risk. Advocacy groups and incarcerated persons report severe health impacts and insufficient mitigation efforts, calling for urgent reforms to prevent more fatalities in these "summer broilers."

“[M]any of the service men who had been arrested and sentenced for various crimes were in the main not responsible, but suffering from shell shock and other inheritances of the World War, and not in a position to judge right from wrong.”
 
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is leading the Veterans Justice Commission in addressing the alarming issue of veterans finding themselves in the criminal justice system. Despite nearly a century of the Veterans Administration's efforts to provide healthcare to incarcerated veterans, a 1999 regulation halted this critical support, which had a detrimental effect on veterans' health outcomes. With Medicaid expansion and telehealth advancements, there are promising new avenues to restore and enhance healthcare access for veterans behind bars.

“In over half of all states, men’s prisons offer more access to Pell Grant-eligible courses than women's prisons do.”

With the reinstatement of Pell Grants for incarcerated people, a gender gap has emerged over access, according to a new report from the Vera Institute. There are several reasons for these disparities, including resource allocation, historical prioritization of educational opportunities in men's facilities over women's, and restrictions within the eligibility criteria or program offerings. Some states, including Maryland, are working to address it. 

“The men and women who do the hard and dangerous work of keeping our prisons running safely deserve to be paid better.”

Corrections officers at Allenwood prison face dangerous working conditions due to a severe pay disparity, earning up to 20% less than nearby facilities while struggling with only 71% staffing. This inequity has led to safety risks and forced double shifts, prompting legislative action for a 36.1% pay increase. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman are championing this cause, highlighting the urgent need for fair compensation and adequate staffing in rural federal prisons.

"As we work to build a highly skilled federal workforce, it’s crucial that the federal government modernizes its hiring practices to reflect evolving laws and societal norms."
 
Michigan Senator Gary Peters introduced legislation to prevent federal agencies from rejecting job applicants that have used marijuana. The legislation comes as more than half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, and as federal agencies, including law enforcement, have reduced restrictions on hiring based on previous marijuana use.