Describe veterans courts and their functioning. Explain how they have been established over the years.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers may vary.Veterans courts are a kind of problem-solving court applying rehabilitative interventions under the jurisdiction of a specialized court (usually but not always on a pre-adjudication basis) for individuals who meet that court's criteria for inclusion. In this case, the veterans court focuses on the problems that are experienced by justice-involved veterans of U.S. military service, including challenges such as substance abuse, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and related difficulties in adjusting to civilian life. The first veterans court opened in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2004, followed four years later by the establishment of the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court. Veterans courts often work closely with Veterans Affairs facilities, particularly VA Veteran Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialists, in providing services to veterans who are VA-eligible.In telephone surveys conducted in 2012, investigators sought to answer a number of questions about the current operation of veterans courts in the United States. They identified 168 veterans courts, dockets, and tracks in existence at the end of 2012. (The number of these courts has grown rapidly since 2008, but the empirical evidence tracking their operation and effectiveness is very limited-making this survey a welcome contribution to our understanding of veterans courts.) Two-thirds of the courts are specifically considered to be Veteran Treatment Courts; they serve Veterans of all eras. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the courts provide services to veterans who are not VA-eligible, with these individuals comprising an average of 14% of the caseloads. The inclusion of volunteer veteran mentors is recognized as an important component of the Veterans Treatment Court model, with more than half the courts having mentors. A total of 7,724 Veterans have been part of veterans courts, according to this survey, with court jurisdiction averaging 15-18 months. About two-thirds of veterans who are no longer under court jurisdiction successfully completed court and treatment requirements.A survey on veterans courts process and outcomes illustrates both the potential usefulness and the current empirical limitations of our knowledge of veterans courts. They surveyed 53 courts and received responses from 14, so the size of their sample was very small. Of the responding courts, seven indicated that they required a guilty plea as a condition of participation and eight reported that charges would be dismissed upon successful completion, with at least one court reporting that both options are used. Eight of the courts described using veteran peer mentors. Of the 404 court veteran participants tracked by survey responses, there had been 59 graduates, 8 voluntary withdrawals, and 21 early terminations. One of the individuals successfully completing veterans court had been involved in reoffending.Veterans courts have proliferated rapidly and are clearly a popular and promising kind of problem-solving court. Just as clearly, the field very much needs empirical investigation into how they work and how effective they are.