Recommendations to Improve the Service Quality in Veteran Treatment Courts

Findings from JCOIN’s Coordination and Translation Center (CTC)Black and white photograph of a courthouse building.

A recent study published in the journal Victims & Offenders explores the inner workings of Veterans Treatment Courts and the unique treatment needs of justice-involved veterans. Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) have emerged as a mechanism for addressing the unique needs of veterans who find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system. Dr. Kim Kras from San Diego State University led a team to conduct qualitative interviews with 20 unique courts across the United States to gather insights into the operation of VTCs, how to improve services and support for justice-involved veterans, and challenges within the system. This is one study from a series that is conducted by a broader team of Dr. James Byrne (University of Massachusetts Lowell) and Dr. Don Hummer (Penn State University) to understand how VTCs operate. Dr. Byrne’s research team also included Sabrina Rapisarda, and Dr. Kelly Socia from UMass Lowell.

The study involved qualitative interviews with team members from 20 unique courts across the United States, including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, Veterans Justice Outreach specialists, mentors, probation officers, and treatment providers. A total of 145 interviews were conducted to gather insights into the operation of VTCs, how to improve services and support for justice-involved veterans, and challenges within the system. 

VTCs are specialized court programs that operate under the broader umbrella of problem-solving courts. They are designed to provide a therapeutic approach to justice for veterans, focusing on treatment rather than punishment. The primary goal of VTCs is to divert eligible veterans away from incarceration and towards comprehensive treatment programs that address the root causes of their legal involvement. Despite the growth of VTCs in recent years, there is limited evaluation research supporting the continued development of these programs.  

The interviews highlighted several critical factors and recommendations for improving service provision, both inside and outside the VTC: 

  1. State Statutes and Eligibility: A nationwide review revealed significant variation in state statutes affecting VTC design and veteran eligibility. Most statutes do not explicitly restrict eligibility to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) service recipients. Instead, eligibility is more influenced by the courts, team members, funding agencies, and local authorities rather than state legislation.
  2. Eligibility Criteria and Target Population: VTC team members noted issues with rigid eligibility criteria and expressed a desire for more flexibility to include a broader range of justice-involved veterans. Many VTCs were under capacity, especially after COVID-19, and faced challenges in recruiting eligible veterans. Some participants also noted the need for additional resources and treatment options, especially for veterans not covered by VA benefits or those requiring service beyond what the VA offers.
  3. Service Delivery and Coordination with VA: Team members identified several service delivery challenges, particularly related to veterans' discharge status affecting access to VA services. Limited availability of residential mental health and SUD services and long waiting lists were also a notable concern. They suggested creating veterans-only transitional and long-term housing options and mental health and substance use treatment programs. Information sharing between the court and VA was also cited as a problem due to data siloing, affecting assessments of VTC program fidelity and effectiveness.
  4. Future of VTCs: While team members were optimistic about the future of VTCs and their ability to continue supporting justice-involved veterans, they expressed concerns about funding stability, resource and treatment availability, and the need for continued support from key stakeholders and policymakers.

The study was published in a Special Issue of the journal Victims & Offenders; the series is available online and is open access.

This summary is based on the findings from the following publication:

Byrne, J. M., Hummer, D., Kras, K. R., Rapisarda, S. S., & Socia, K. M. (2024). New research on veterans treatment courts: An overview of the community participatory research on veterans in specialized programming project. Victims & Offenders, 19(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564886.2023.2295882