Court Actors’ Perceptions of Barriers to Veterans’ Treatment Court Participation

Veterans’ treatment courts (VTCs) are problem-solving courts created to address the specific treatment needs of veteran defendants. Despite the favorable results of studies on the efficacy of VTCs to reduce recidivism, participation is voluntary, and not all eligible candidates elect to participate. The purpose of this study was to discover why defendants choose to opt out. A qualitative study was designed to learn from VTC coordinators, prosecuting attorneys, and public defenders in a southeastern state of the United States the reasons why defendants decline VTC participation. The data collected from 33 survey participants suggested the primary reasons for VTC opt out are rigorous program requirements, readiness to accept treatment, less strenuous alternatives, lack of awareness, and the perceptions of programming and leadership. To overcome these obstacles and maximize participation in VTC, respondents recommended programs expand eligibility to more veterans, enhance benefits, reduce program intensity, and raise awareness of VTC as a court processing option. The findings of this study are intended to provide VTC actors with a better understanding of the dominant factors justice-involved veterans weigh when making VTC determinations and what changes to practice are most likely to result in increased participation.