3006CCJ: Veteran Treatment Courts - Goals, Critique, and Australia

This presentation examines Veteran Treatment Courts (VTCs), which were established to address the unique needs of veterans involved in the criminal justice system, particularly those facing substance abuse and mental health challenges. The presentation outlines the goals of VTCs, including providing judicially supervised treatment, balancing public safety with veteran well-being, and connecting veterans with VA benefits. It explores the context of VTCs, highlighting the increasing number of veterans returning from recent conflicts with difficulties transitioning to civilian life and the prevalence of substance abuse and mental health issues. The VTC model, mirroring other treatment courts, emphasizes recovery, sobriety, and stability, incorporating mentors and coordinating treatment services. The role of the Department of Veteran Affairs and Veterans Justice Outreach officers is crucial. The presentation also critiques the use of this form of punishment from the perspectives covered in the course and explains whether or not VTCs should be introduced in Australia. The document provides a comprehensive overview of the VTC model, its benefits, and its potential impact on the criminal justice system and veteran well-being.

Veteran’s Treatment
Courts
The first Veterans Treatment Court was established
in Buffalo, New York in 2008.
This court was established by Judge Robert Russell.
He noticed that there was a rising number of veterans
in his treatment court dockets who were dealing with
unique substance abuse and mental health problems.
It was of the opinion that these veterans can achieve
benefit from specialized treatment court docket that
has been particularly developed for the specific
purpose of dealing with their dealing with their
particular needs and challenges.

Objective
A veterans Treatment Court provides
judicially supervised treatment to the
veterans who are involved in criminal justice
system.
At the same time, these courts also maintain
a balance between the need for ensuring
public safety and the need for treating a
veteran who is suffering from mental health
disorder or substance abuse.

The veteran treatment courts try to keep the
veterans out of the jail. Instead they try to
correct them with their VA benefits and
treatment for helping them integrate back in
the community.
The VTC's use rigorous treatment as well as
accountability for the veterans who are facing
incarceration.
Courts provide individualized treatment that
is focused on the trauma related within being
in the military.

Number of Veterans Returning
Since 2001, more than 2.5 million veterans
who was serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom
and also in Operation Enduring Freedom and
many of them were deployed more than once.
For a large number of these soldiers
returning home, it has been very difficult to
resume civilian life.
Coming from a dangerous, high-intensity
environment and resuming a life of civility
generally results in contact with criminal
justice system of several of these veterans.

Justice for Vets
Justice for Vet which is a division of National
Association of Drug Court Professionals,
which tries to keep the veterans out of jail
and connect them with treatment claims that
1/6 post December 11 veterans, has a
substance abuse problem.
As compared, nearly 3% of persons, the age
of 12 or more have a substance abuse
problem.

Wounds of War
In modern times, the consequences of combat required a
unique solution.
According to an estimate by the RAND Corporation, nearly
300,000 members of the military court took part in
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom
are now suffering from PTSD or major depression.
320,000 members of the military experienced likely
traumatic brain injury while they were deployed.
Nearly 1/3 of the members of the military who were
previously deployed suffered from PTSD or major
depression or have suffered traumatic brain injury.
Approximately 5% of these members report the symptoms
of all the three.

Veterans Treatment Court Model:
The model for VTCs is the same as the framework
used by other treatment courts.
Therefore the Veterans Treatment Courts promote
recovery, sobriety and stability with the help of
coordinated response.
There is also the incorporation of volunteer mentors
and the coronation of treatment services with the
healthcare network of US Department of Veteran
Affairs, state Department of veteran affairs and
veterans benefits administration which differentiate
VTCs from other treatment courts.

Role of VA and the VJO
The Department of Veteran Affairs and
Veterans Justice Outreach Officer has a
significant role in the veteran treatment court
model.
With the coordination achieved with a VJO
officer, the VA is able to promote treatment of
the participants.
The VJO coordinate with their courts for
providing counseling services, housing and
job placement services.

Mentors
Mentors are the most unique feature of the
veterans treatment courts.
Therefore, a peer mentor program has been
incorporated for the purpose of supporting
the participants of the program.
These mentors can be checked them all the
retired military personnel and are
represented across all the branches of the
military.

Conclusion
The Veterans Treatment Courts are not only
beneficial for the veterans who are involved
in criminal justice system but they are also
beneficial for the taxpayers also.
Apart from considerably lowering recidivism
rates for the participants so complete them,
these courts also save hundreds of thousands
of dollars of the taxpayers that would
otherwise be spent on incarceration.

Thank You