The Veterans Treatment Court Movement (Directions and Developments in Criminal Justice and Law)

The Veterans Treatment Court Movement provides a comprehensive, empirical analysis of the burgeoning veteran’s court movement from genesis through to operation, and concluding with comments on its societal relevance. Beginning with the unlikely convergence of therapeutic jurisprudence with the oft-misunderstood warrior ethos that undergirds the entire movement, the text examines every component of veterans courts, weighing the cultural, legal, and practical strengths and limitations of these programs. Each chapter assesses key components of the court, including the participants, law enforcement, judges, prosecution, defense counsel, court administration, data management, the Veterans Justice Outreach Officer (VJO), probation, mentors, and the community. The book concludes with recommendations on how these courts can further integrate with communities, maximize efficiency, and improve.

The book shows how veterans courts seek to serve veterans’ legal, social, and psychological needs, and how they serve more than just offending veterans by allowing law-abiding veterans, many of whom suffered greatly when they transitioned out of military service, to exorcize their own demons and integrate their experiences into a socially recognized system of care. Incorporating program evaluation with sociological considerations, this monograph offers a comprehensive, considered examination of how – and why – these courts operate, and provides a foundation for future development. The volume provides essential background for scholars studying law and the criminal courts, as well as policymakers, judges, academics, students, and practitioners concerned with effective jurisprudence.

Anne S. Douds is Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania and a retired trial attorney. She received her B.A. in Political Science from Duke University, her J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and her Ph.D. in Justice, Law and Crime Policy from George Mason University. Her teaching and research interests include constitutional law, civil rights law, victims’ rights and advocacy, problem-solving courts, and social justice.

Eileen M. Ahlin is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. Ahlin joined the faculty in 2013 after 15 years at Westat, where she conducted research at the federal, state, and local levels. She received a B.A. in Administration of Justice and Sociology (multiple major) from Penn State University and her M.A. in Sociology (focus on crime, delinquency, and corrections) from George Mason University. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park. Her teaching and research interests include criminological theory, violence, neighborhood effects, corrections, racial and social justice, and research methods.