National Institute of Justice Term of the Month – "Veterans Treatment Courts"

As we honor our nation’s veterans this Veterans Day for their service, it’s important to recognize the research and programs dedicated to supporting people in military service who become involved with the criminal justice system.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Veterans treatment courts are dedicated courts for individuals that have been diagnosed with substance use, mental health, or co-occurring disorders, and where there is a nexus between the veteran’s offending behavior and their military service. These judicially supervised criminal courts aim to reduce recidivism, increase access to treatment and recovery support, and prevent overdoses.

NIJ, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is actively seeking research partners to participate in a cross-site evaluation for the “NIJ Multisite Impact and Cost-Efficiency Evaluation of Veterans Treatment Courts” cooperative agreement awarded to American University. If your organization is interested in becoming a research partner site, contact us at NIJVTC@usdoj.gov.

Veterans Treatment Courts

NIJ is currently seeking programs that are interested in participating in a cross-site evaluation. Visit NIJ FY22 NIJ Multisite Impact and Cost-Efficiency Evaluation of Veterans Treatment Courts to learn more. If your organization is interested in becoming a research partner site, contact us at NIJVTC@usdoj.gov.

Veterans treatment courts are dedicated court dockets that support persons with military service who are in the criminal justice system. These individuals have been diagnosed with substance use, mental health, or cooccurring disorders, and there is a nexus between the veteran’s offending behavior and their military service. Modeled after mental health and drug courts, veterans treatment courts integrate evidence-based treatment and other rehabilitation services, mandatory drug testing, incentives and sanctions, and transitional services. These judicially supervised criminal courts aim to reduce recidivism, increase access to treatment and recovery support, and prevent overdoses.

Although more than 700 veteran-focused court programs are in operation, little is known about veterans treatment courts in terms of impacts and costs. The National Institute of Justice, in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance, awarded a cooperative agreement to American University for the “NIJ Multisite Impact and Cost-Efficiency Evaluation of Veterans Treatment Courts.” The project is a prospective cross-site evaluation designed to examine: 1) the degree to which the program has an impact on relapse, recidivism, and other outcomes and for whom are programs effective; 2) which program elements (if any) are effective; and 3) whether the programs are cost-efficient. Other evaluation areas include veterans with violent offense histories, mental health and comorbidity, leveraging technology, peer mentoring, and equitable service access.

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Levi Gwaltney

Levi Gwaltney is the Editor In Chief of Las Cruces Digest. The Editor makes editorial and posting decisions regarding content published on this site. In most cases, the Editor makes little if any contribution to content published, and takes no credit for the content of republished posts. If available, the source or author of posts is provided at the top of the article.