Corrections_Today_May_June_2019

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2. Using a non-adversarial approach, prosecution and defense counsel promote public safety while protecting participants’ due process rights. 3. Eligible participants are identified early and promptly placed in the program. 4. The veterans treatment court provides access to continuum of alcohol, drug, mental health and other-related treatment and rehabilitation services. 5. Abstinence is monitored by frequent alcohol and other drug testing. 6. A coordinated strategy governs veterans treatment court responses to participants’ compliance. 7. Ongoing judicial interaction with the veteran is essential. 8. Monitoring and evaluation measure the achievement of program goals and determines effectiveness. 9. Continuing interdisciplinary education promotes effective planning, implementation and operations. 10. Forging partnerships among the veterans treatment court, the Veterans Administration, public agencies and community- based organization enhances effectiveness. 7

As veterans treatment courts continue to grow, there are some unresolved issues and some objections to them. Do veterans have more needs than the general population offender? Do veterans with PTSD or a traumatic brain injury (TBI) have a propensity to offend more than those veterans not diagnosed? Is there a causal effect between military service and criminal behavior in some? What are the policy and financial implications for corrections and others?  5 Looking at objections to veterans courts include the creation of a separate court system that establishes preferential treatment; special mental health treatment for veterans that does not include a similar treatment for non-veterans; needs of veterans are served by existing mental health and drug courts; veteran courts concentration on mental health stigmatizes all veterans; and those who require guilty pleas to participate may be forfeiting their rights. 6 No matter the concerns and objections for the time being, these special treatment courts are not going away. Key components of veterans treatment courts: 1. Veterans treatment courts integrate alcohol, drug treatment and mental health services with just system case processing.

specialists, probation officers or post-conviction specialists, the knowledge developed on the topics of veterans courts, as synthesized by Seamone, is especially helpful. Discussion of services for veterans move from those who are managed in the community to those who are confined. Because of the Veterans Administration prohibition from providing “treatment” to those who are confined except under special circumstances, the focus of the review will be on how Seamone articulates what institutions have done to meet the needs of veterans and what they are doing. As the reader of the book will find, they are as varied as the many different locations jails and prisons reside. Before examining programs, some of the attributes of incarcerated veterans generally include that: 1. Veterans do not have extensive criminal histories. 2. Veterans are classified and conduct themselves as ‘outsiders’ to the criminal subculture. 3. Veterans receive fewer incident reports and do not participate in assaults, work stoppages or contraband introduction. 4. Veterans have a higher degree of narcotic involvement surrounding their crimes. 5. Veterans are more cooperative with authority figures and accept direction from staff. →

For those working in community corrections, either as pre-trial

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