Theorizing Post-Incarceration Transition Crisis and Readiness Through Veteran Identity Work

Abstract

Interest in adjustment issues Veterans face following incarceration has grown rapidly in response to the prevalence of stress-related disorders as well as the physical, social, and occupational challenges when reintegrating into communities. While reintegration may be a positive event that includes the reunification of family, friends, and a return to civilian life, transition can also involve a wide range of difficulties and crises impacting readjustment. Veteran reintegration has been understood as a complex process influenced by different levels, such as at the individual, interactional, and socio-cultural level. This article takes a Veteran standpoint to explore how Veterans’ lived experiences are a basis to understand their transition readiness. Specifically, identity work clarifies the empirical self-constructions of Veterans’ standpoint and their everyday strategies used for post-incarceration transition efficacy.