Championing veterans treatment courts in New York State

Championing veterans treatment courts in New York State

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Contributor(s):
New York Health Foundation, issuing body.
Publication:
New York, NY : NY Health Foundation, December 2022
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Criminal Law
Veterans
Veterans Health
Mental Disorders
Substance-Related Disorders
New York
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
While most military veterans reintegrate into civilian life without experiencing any major problems, several studies have confirmed that many do face significant challenges after their time in service. Up to 56% of younger combat veterans have experienced health, economic, and social challenges, such as the perceived loss of purpose, geographic relocation, and financial uncertainty. Veterans are also at higher risk of experiencing mental health or substance use issues when compared with their civilian counterparts and face formidable barriers that can prevent them from accessing behavioral health services. These barriers include trouble navigating bureaucratic systems of care, real or perceived stigma against mental health issues within the military, and a shortage of behavioral health workers. Transitioning veterans also face broader challenges, such as family strain, and confront difficulties related to financial, housing, and employment security when they leave active duty. These combined challenges put veterans at an elevated risk of being involved with in the criminal justice system. Approximately 1 in 3 veterans self-report having been arrested and booked into jail at least once, compared to fewer than 1 in 5 civilians. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that 181,500 veterans were in jails and prisons in the United States in 2012, comprising about 8% of the incarcerated population, despite veterans making up just 5% of the U.S. population.3 Of these incarcerated veterans, about half have reported being diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. In New York, veterans make up 3% of the State’s population, but make up 5% of those under State custody. Understanding these various challenges while witnessing an increase of military veterans in the Buffalo City Court, the Honorable Judge Robert T. Russell (ret.) created the nation’s very first Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) in 2008. Building off the success of the larger problem solving court movement starting with drug courts in the mid-1990s, VTCs are a type of specialty court geared toward veterans with mental health or substance use issues who have committed non-violent crimes. These courts offer treatment to justice-involved veterans, as well as peer mentoring and access to community-based resources in lieu of incarceration, and they have been shown to drastically reduce recidivism while improving the mental health of participating veterans--all at a fraction of the cost associated with imprisonment. To ensure every justice-involved veteran in New York State has access not only to a VTC if needed, but also to the highest quality support possible during their treatment, the New York Health Foundation began investing in the evaluation, replication, and strengthening of VTCs beginning in 2009 with the ultimate goal of ensuring universal access statewide.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (12 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918540684006676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918540684006676