VetPhoenix is a justice-impacted organization led by formerly incarcerated veterans who have become social workers, researchers, and advocates.
Rooted in the belief that everyone can rise from the ashes of adversity, we turn theory into practice in real lives and real communities.
We deliver housing, peer support, clinical services, veteran advocacy, and research-driven solutions through the lens of lived experience, building models that work in classrooms and courtrooms, in barracks and living rooms, and in the hard moments where resilience is earned.
Empowerment
We lift every military connected journey including veterans, spouses, families, and those still serving. Strength is built through community and shared resilience. We rise together by restoring purpose, stability, and pride through real support and hard earned hope.
Compassion
We show up in the moments most people never see including transition, hardship, healing, and rebuilding. We listen, we stand close, and we honor the battles carried quietly by service members, families, and caregivers.
Integrity
We move with discipline and truth because our community deserves nothing less. Our promises hold. Our actions match our values. Lived experience guides us to serve with honor, humility, and accountability.
Respect
Every military affiliated person carries a story of sacrifice, uprooting, duty, and endurance. We see the human behind the uniform, the family behind the mission, and the strength behind every setback. Dignity is protected, voices matter, and no one stands alone.
What We Do
Peer-Led Programs
Reentry and diversion pathways that provide housing, mentorship, and purpose.
Systems Reform & Advocacy
Policy and justice-system improvements that advance equity and accountability.
Research & Innovation
Lived-experience-driven research that builds data-based, replicable models.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaboration with counties, courts, and community agencies to expand impact and coordination.
The Cost of Ignoring THOSE WHO SERVED
Service leaves marks seen and unseen. When we overlook the wounds carried home, we do not avoid the cost. We shift it. Families absorb strain, communities shoulder instability, and futures dim under weight that could have been lifted.
The greatest loss is not struggle but untapped strength.
We choose whether service leads to renewal or remains a quiet burden that echoes across generations.
$6 BILLION ANNUALLY
An estimated 181,500 veterans are currently incarcerated in U.S. jails and prisons—costing taxpayers roughly $6 billion every year, based on an average cost of $33,274 per inmate.
(Holliday et al., 2023; Wagner & Rabuy, 2017)
1 IN 3 VETERANS
Roughly one in three of America’s 19 million veterans—about 6.3 million people—report at least one arrest in their lifetime.
Nearly 30% of male veterans in state prisons served in combat, underscoring the lasting effects of military trauma and the need for tailored support.
(Pew Charitable Trusts, 2023; U.S. Sentencing Commission, 2021)
$173,388 PER VETERAN
Diverting a single justice-involved veteran to VA benefits instead of incarceration can save up to $173,388 each year, while improving reintegration outcomes.
(Legislative Analyst’s Office, 2025; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2025)
Rising Together
We are proof that recovery and reform are possible.
Every veteran we serve, every policy we inform, and every system we help rebuild is a testament to resilience.
VetPhoenix stands as a reminder that transformation begins when lived experience leads the way.
Connect with peer-led VetPhoenix programs through our secure intake form, and access housing support, reentry guidance, and justice-navigation services that help veterans rebuild stability, purpose, and community.