Every year on Nov. 11, Americans across the country join together to commemorate the men and women who have served our great nation in the U.S. Armed Forces. But there is one group of veterans that are often forgotten among us.

As Americans gather for barbecues and beers, there are incarcerated veterans who must trade in the warmth of the sun for the coldness of a cell. While they are ultimately responsible and ought to be held accountable for breaking the law, we must do more to ensure this population of people, who signed up to sacrifice their lives for this nation, are given an opportunity at redemption that builds upon the foundations they learned in the military.

The United States military is an all-volunteer force with 1.4 million men and women on active duty today. Throughout the nation, we have more than 16 million veterans — many of whom, disproportionately to the civilian population, have a disability. This includes the nation’s incarcerated veterans.

Unfortunately, due to their service, many incarcerated veterans suffer from debilitating disabilities, both mentally and physically, that increase the likelihood of incarceration. In fact, veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder are 60% more likely to be incarcerated than those without the traumatic injury.

PTSD can also lead to an increased likelihood of a substance abuse disorder as many veterans struggle to heal from their time in service. Given their time serving our nation — and of course, depending on the severity of the crime — are they not worthy of redemption?

Fortunately, I am not the only one who sees this demographic as especially worthy of rehabilitation and redemption. I helped advocate bills in the United States Congress, such as the Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Improvement Act, that sought to expand outreach and education to our nation’s servicemen and women. According to the members of Congress who introduced the bill, it worked to “identify and support … veterans needing legal assistance and other critical resources to tackle mental health and substance abuse issues.”

In 2020, more than 36,000 veterans were assisted via the VJO.

While the bill was a good first step, there needs to be more done across all levels of government, especially at the state level, where most incarcerated Americans serve their sentences. The way many laws are currently written forces incarcerated veterans back into society with limited resources and endless mental and physical health issues, which unquestionably contributes to the enormously high veteran suicide rate.

Rehabilitation programming also ought to include ways to build camaraderie — an essential part of any military unit — with other incarcerated veterans, greater access to educational benefits so that they can learn a trade while incarcerated, and increased access to treatment for illnesses such as PTSD while in prison. Participation in these programs, alongside others, could also serve as an avenue for these veterans to receive time off their sentence.

Once these individuals do reenter society, treatment for them must be sustained. The rehabilitation process often takes years, and time in prison is certainly not going to solve all potential issues.

Moreover, we must recognize that the federal and state governments do not hold all the answers. Non-governmental organizations such as mine, the Jack Brewer Foundation , can also help. In our 2nd Chance Centers, located in GEO facilities, we combine spiritual healing with concrete resources such as job preparation, substance abuse rehabilitation, community service, and mentorship programs.

I personally saw firsthand how gathering these veterans together increased morale, deepened camaraderie, reinvigorated their pride for their service, and furthered their friendly interservice rivalries. From the color guard to saluting the flag, their time in service is not forgotten, especially among themselves.

With these steps, we can help take care of those who signed up to take care of us. On this Veterans Day, let us not forget those who served us and now, unfortunately, serve time.

Jack Brewer is a federal commissioner with the U.S. Commission for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. He also serves as chairman of the Center for Opportunity Now at the America First Policy Institute and is a proud father.