First-Ever Jail Opens Just for Veterans

In one Georgia county jail, military veterans will receive a special kind of treatment. The sheriff of Muscogee County says he's opening the first-ever jail dorm exclusively for veterans, where programs are designed to keep them from breaking the law once they're out, Fox News reports. "When they transition back into the community we don't have the problem" of recidivism, says Sheriff John Darr.

The community pays nothing extra, because programs addressing addiction, depression, and housing are all volunteer based. And it's the perfect place for veterans to tackle such issues, says Darr, because if they don't, "where are they going to go? They're going to go to the local county jails." With veterans making up 9% of the nation's prison population, other jurisdictions are calling to ask about the program, says a reverend who works with inmates: "I think you’re going to see this happen more and more in other places." (More jail stories.)