Over the last several years, Mississippi Veterans Affairs (MSVA) has partnered with the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) to form and operate an innovative program to reach and assist incarcerated Veterans. The Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUM-V) is operated out of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility (CMCF). It uses military and Veteran-centric themes to prepare incarcerated Veterans for life after prison. The program utilizes counseling and job training, coupled with good order and discipline, to prepare Veterans w to reenter society as productive citizens. 

Across the nation, more than 26 states have prison programs for Veterans. Most often, these programs are operated at the county level. Mississippi is the only state where the statewide incarcerated Veterans program is directed by its State Board of Veterans Affairs. MSVA and MDOC have built a stable, proactive reentry program that will significantly impact recidivism.

The HUM-V program occurs during a Veteran inmate’s final 12-18 months of incarceration. Veteran inmates who are willing to participate and are declared good candidates for the program are transferred to CMCF and placed in the designated housing units specifically for military Veterans: The Barracks and the Garrison. Currently, the Garrison houses 60 male participants. HUM-V hopes to expand the occupancy to 130 Veterans by spring. The Barracks provides space for 24 female participants.

HUM-V is divided into two parts: Basic Training and Veterans Career Education and Training Center (V-CET). During basic training, Veterans participate in intensive training covering such topics as good citizenship, computer literacy, cognitive behavior therapy, anger management, and addressing issues surrounding co-dependent relationships.

An even more notable statistic is the program’s recidivism rate. The statewide recidivism rate is around 38.4%. The HUM-V program has a rate of 4%.

V-CET is a technical school where Veterans learn vocational skills and receive job training. V-CET is housed in an 11,000-square-foot vocational training center at CMCF. V-CET has the potential to become one of the largest, most cost-effective and productive career education training centers in the state. V-CET focuses on developing employment skills, evaluating personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, and preparing for reentry. It offers a technical computer-based learning lab and certified instruction in nine trade areas. Program participants with verifiable experience and long sentences have been certified as instructors through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).