"Carlson had been calling me from the cellblock payphone for a few weeks for an NPR story about incarcerated combat veterans and PTSD. "Jail is the least therapeutic atmosphere you could probably ever imagine," Carlson had told me over a scratchy phone line. "You come in one way and you leave three times worse." Now I finally got a look at him, while the judge decided if Carlson could walk free or stay locked up for up to six more years."
"They had met in 2007 on Carlson's second deployment. Three other Iraq buddies filled a back row in the courtroom, along with Carlson's family. Their stories of his strengths and virtues, and Carlson's thoughtful interviews on the phone from jail just didn't square with the long rap sheet the judge was reading off: felony operating under the influence, felony bail jumping, battery by prisoner while incarcerated."
Dave Carlson, 31, served two combat tours in Iraq and later faced multiple criminal charges including robberies, drug offenses, felony operating under the influence, felony bail jumping, and battery while incarcerated. He made repeated calls from a cellblock payphone about incarcerated combat veterans and PTSD and said, "Jail is the least therapeutic atmosphere you could probably ever imagine. You come in one way and you leave three times worse." He appeared in a Waukesha courtroom facing up to 12 years' exposure and possibly six more years behind bars. Several Iraq buddies and family attended and described his strengths and leadership. The judge noted extensive attempts to keep him in the community had not produced good results.
Read at www.npr.org
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