Florida’s inmate population today is about 80,000. About 5% of them are confirmed veterans, though that share is likely far larger, research has shown.
And while veterans compose only a small portion of those in Florida prisons, an overwhelming segment of them — 72% — are 50 or older.
That seems like something worth examining and addressing, according to former state Sen. Jeff Brandes, whose nonprofit Florida Policy Project just released a report outlining several recommendations for how to fix the issue.