HelpingThoseWhoServe:Veterans

TreatmentCourtsFosterRehabilitation
andReduceRecidivismforOffending
CombatVeterans

JILLIANM.CAVANAUGH*

ABSTRACT

Wars [are] the most intense and destructive of human enterprises [that]
traumatize and damage minds and bodies . . . .1 Many combat veterans
return home from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi
Freedom suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain
injuries, mental disease, or mental disordersinjuries that they sustained
during their deployments. Returning veterans are finding themselves in
trouble with the criminal justice system because the injuries that they
suffered while on deployment have been linked to substance abuse,
domestic violence and other criminal activity. A new type of specialty
court,theveteranstreatmentcourt,workswiththeDepartmentofVeterans
Affairsandlocalauthoritiesinacollaborativeteamefforttorehabilitate
these veterans and reduce their risk of recidivism by treating the
underlying causes of their criminal behavior. So far, the outcomes have
beenpositiveandveteransaregettingthehelptheyneedtogettheirlives
backontrack.

*First Lieutenant, U.S. ArmyJAGCorps;admittedtotheMassachusettsBarin2010;J.D.,

New England School of Law (2010); B.A., English, summa cum laude, Merrimack College
(2005).First,IwouldliketothankmyfamilyforsupportingmeforthepasteightyearswhileI
workedtoaccomplishmygoalsandbeginmycareer.Thankyou,also,toallofthemenand
women, past and present, who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Your courage and
servicetoourcountryarethecornerstonesofourfreedom.Mostimportantly,Iwouldliketo
extendmysincerestthankstoVictorHansen,LTC(Ret.),U.S.ArmyJAGCorpsforallofhis
helpwiththisNoteandhisneverendingsupport.
1C.B. SCRIGNAR, POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER: DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND LEGAL

ISSUES2(BrunoPress2ded.1988)(1984).

463
464 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

INTRODUCTION

M
ilitary veterans returning home from deployment are finding
themselvesintroublewiththecriminaljusticesystem.2Veterans
treatment courts are a new type of specialty court that started
surfacingintheUnitedStatesatthebeginningof2008.3Thesecourtsfocus
onprovidingrehabilitativetreatmenttocombatveterans4whosufferfrom
braininjuries,mentaldisease,ormentaldisorders,suchasposttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD), which result from military service in either a
combat zone or a hazardous duty zone.5 Exposure to such environments
increasestheriskoftraumaticbraininjuries(TBIs)andPTSD.6Statistics

2SeeNicholasRiccardi,WhereJusticeIsntBlindtotheNeedsofVeterans,L.A.TIMES,Mar.10,

2009,atA1.
3ThefirstveteranstreatmentcourtwasestablishedinBuffalo,NewYorkinJanuary2008

by Judge Robert T. Russell, Jr. See Jerry Zremski, Buffalos Veterans Court Wins Praise in
Congress,BUFFALONEWS,Sept.17,2009,atB1.
4A combat veteran is one who has served on active duty in a theater of combat

operations. U.S. DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, VA HEALTH CARE FACT SHEET 164: COMBAT
VETERAN ELIGIBILITY 1 (2010) [hereinafter VA FACT SHEET], available at
http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/CombatVet/CombatVet.pdf. Veterans who
havenotservedonactivedutyinacombatoperationareconsiderednoncombatveterans.See
id. This distinction is important because this Note discusses PostTraumatic Stress Disorder
only as it pertains to combat veterans in relation to their combat service. While all veterans
whohavebeendischargedfromtheserviceunder[otherthandishonorable]conditionsare
eligibleforhealthbenefitsundertheNationalDefenseAuthorizationActof2008,38U.S.C.
1710(e)(3)(Supp.2008),id.,onlycombatveteransareeligibletotakepartinveteranstreatment
court proceedings. See Christopher Hawthorne, Bringing Baghdad into the Courtroom: Should
CombatTraumainVeteransBePartoftheCriminalJusticeEquation?,CRIM.JUST.,Summer2009,at
4,910,13(explainingthatveteransservedbyveteranstreatmentcourtsarethosewhoserved
in Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq, and Afghanistan). When the term veteran is used in this
Noteitreferstocombatveteransonly,unlessotherwisespecified.
5SeeAdam Caine, Comment, Fallen from Grace: Why Treatment Should Be Considered for
ConvictedCombatVeteransSufferingfromPostTraumaticStressDisorder,78UMKCL.REV.215,
233 (2009) (explaining that Judge Russell repeatedly saw convicted veterans suffering from
PTSDinBuffalosdrugandmentalhealthcourts,whichpromptedhimtoestablishaveterans
treatmentcourt);seealsoChrisRoberts,LawKeepsVeteranswithPostTraumaticStressDisorder
OutofJail,EL PASO TIMES (Texas),Aug.30,2009,at1B,availableat2009WLNR16908635(The
court [is] geared to activeduty soldiers or veterans who served in combat zones or other
hazardousassignmentsandsufferfromposttraumaticstressdisorder....).
6One in Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression, RAND

CORP. (Apr. 17, 2008) [hereinafter RAND News Release], http://www.rand.org/news/

press/2008/04/17/. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a mental defect generally caused by
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used by insurgent forces. See, e.g., Susan Okie,
Traumatic Brain Injury in the War Zone, 352 NEW ENG. J. MED. 2043, 2046 (2005) (describing a
brain bruise suffered by a soldier who encountered an IED in Iraq). A TBI can cause a
number of deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning such as agnosia (failure to
recognize or identify objects) and disturbances in executive functioning connected with
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 465

from 2008 show that nearly twenty percent of veterans returning home
suffer from brain injuries,7 and veterans who have been on multiple
combattourshaveahigherriskofPTSD(twentyfivepercent)thanthose
who served only one tour (twelve percent).8 PTSD and other mental
diseases have been linked to substance abuseas a means of self
medicationdomesticviolence,andothercriminalactivity.9
Veterans treatment courts are modeled after specialty courts such as
drug courts and juvenile courts.10 They work with local authorities11 to
provide offending veterans with treatment for the underlying causes of
their criminal behavior, as opposed to convicting and sentencing the
veterans to jail time.12 Veterans treatment courts are directed at
rehabilitating veterans and reducing recidivism via properly tailored
counseling,drugandalcoholprograms,andjobplacementprogramsthat
contemplate the veterans specific physical and emotional needs.13 For
those veterans who succeed in the program, their criminal charges are
dropped;however,forthosewhofail,theirjailsentencesareimposed.14
The first veterans treatment court was established in Buffalo, New
YorkbyBuffaloCityJudgeRobertT.Russell,Jr.inJanuaryof2008.15Since
that time, other veterans treatment courts that have been established
include Chicago, Illinois; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Orange County,

planning, organizing, sequencing, and abstracting. See AM. PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSN, REPORT
OF THE TASK FORCE ON MENTAL DISABILITY AND THE DEATH PENALTY 2 (2006), available at
http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/reports/mentaldisabilityanddeathpenalty.pdf (comparing
thesymptomsexperiencedbyapersonwithaseriousbraininjurytothoseenduredbypeople
sufferingfromdementiaasaresultofaging).Onestudyestimatesthatapproximately320,000
veterans have suffered some varying degree of a TBI during their deployments to Iraq and
Afghanistan.SeeRANDNewsRelease,supra.
7RANDNewsRelease,supranote6.

8AmandaRuggeri,NewCourtsGiveTroubledVeteransaSecondChance,U.S.NEWS & WORLD

REP. (Apr. 3, 2009), http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2009/04/03/newcourts

givetroubledveteransasecondchance.html?PageNr=1.
9SeeinfraPartI.B.
10See Ruggeri, supra note 8 (explaining that Judge Russell of the Buffalo Veterans

TreatmentCourtmodeledhiscourtafterthecountydrugandmentalhealthcourts).
11Veterans treatment courts work with federal and state authorities, including but not
limited to, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, local VA organizations, local
policeagencies,andmentalhealthexperts.SeeLibbyLewis,CourtAimstoHelpVetswithLegal
Troubles, NPR (Apr. 29, 2008), http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId
=90016059.
12SeeRuggeri,supranote8;infraPartIII.A.

13See Ruggeri, supra note 8 ([The court] is tailored to veterans specific needs and can

bettertakeintoaccounttheirphysicalandemotionalcondition.);infraPartIII.A.
14Theprocedureforveteranstreatmentcourtsaswellastheconsequencesofcompletionor

failureofthetreatmentprogramsarediscussedinfraPartIII.
15SeeZremski,supranote3.
466 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

California.16 These courts generally exercise jurisdiction over nonviolent

offenses, but some courts, such as the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court,
acceptviolentoffensesaswell.17
This Note argues that, while veterans treatment courts can capitalize
on the collaborative approaches of other specialty courts, they should
implement certain changes to make this specific type of specialty court
bettersuitedforveterans.PartIofthisNotediscussesPTSD,itssymptoms,
andhowitcanleadtocriminalbehavior.PartIIprovidesanoverviewof
specialty courts, specifically drug courts and juvenile courts, explaining
how they work and what benefits offenders receive from successfully
completing the treatment programs. Part III introduces the concept of
veterans treatment courts and discuss how the courts work with local,
state, and federal authorities to help treat the underlying illnesses or
disordersthatveteranssufferfrom.
PartIVofthisNotearguesthatveteranstreatmentcourtscanexpand
the team approach of other specialty courts by (1) involving veterans
families in every stage of the rehabilitation process; (2) implementing
mentortraining programs to educate mentors on court procedures and
various rehabilitation programs; and (3) implementing preventative
screening and treatment procedures for veterans returning from
deployment to ensure that they receive appropriate psychological
screening and treatment, which can help prevent criminal offenses from
occurring. Finally, this Note argues that veterans treatment courts should
consider extending eligibility to violent veteran offenders whose criminal
behavior is a consequence of their combatrelated PTSD, TBI, or other
mentaldiseasebecause,arguably,theseveteransaretheonesmostinneed
ofrehabilitation.

I. PostTraumaticStressDisorder

PTSD is a mental and emotional disorder that is brought on by

exposure to a psychologically distressing event that exceeds the scope of
ordinary human experience.18 Though PTSD is now associated with all
types of traumatic events,19 it was first recognized as a byproduct of war

16ForadiscussionofotherveteranstreatmentcourtsintheUnitedStatesseeinfraPartIII.B.

17SeeRiccardi,supranote2;infraPartIII.

18SeeSTEVEN R. THORPE, LEGAL RESEARCH GUIDETO POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERAS

RELATEDTOVETERANS1(1996).
19PTSD is now the rationale behind syndromes that are used as justification defenses in

criminal cases, including battered spouse syndrome, battered child syndrome,

policemans syndrome, and rape trauma syndrome as well as other dissociative
disorders.RalphSlovenko,TheWateringDownofPTSDinCriminalLaw,32J.PSYCHIATRY & L.
411,42226(2004).
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 467

andreferredtoasshellshock,warneurosis,orcombatfatigue.20The
actualterm,posttraumaticstressdisorderwasnotuseduntil1980when
it was formally recognized as a mental disorder by the American
PsychiatricAssociation(APA).21

A. DiagnosingPTSD

Though psychological trauma plagued combat veterans of every war

in which the United States was involved, prior to the end of the Vietnam
WarsuchmentaldisorderswerenotformallyrecognizedasPTSD.22Itwas
not until after Vietnam that studies were undertaken to determine the
impact of the war on combat veterans.23 Studies showed that Vietnam
veteranssufferedfrommentalhealthissues,homelessness,andsubstance
abuse,amongotherthings.24FiveyearsaftertheendoftheVietnamWar,
theAPAformallyrecognizedPTSDinitsDiagnosticandStatisticalManualof
MentalDisorders:DSMIII.25
Exposure to a lifethreatening event can lead one to experience
nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, feelings of detachment or emotional
numbness,andarangeofotherreactionsbothphysicalandemotional
that may interfere with [a persons] ability to function as before.26 These
arenormalreactionstowitnessingatraumaticevent;however,theyarenot
necessarily PTSD.27 PTSD is a medically diagnosed disorder that is
characterized by the symptoms of reexperience, avoidance, and
hypervigilance.28 Reexperience occurs when vivid memories of sights,

20THORPE, supra note 18, at 1; BARBARA WEBSTER, INST. FOR LAW & JUSTICE, COMBAT

DEPLOYMENT AND THE RETURNING POLICE OFFICER 5 (2008), available at http://www.

cops.usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e08086158Combat.pdf; James M. Inman, Note, Where
Are You Hurt? Kentucky Redefines Workers Compensation Injury in a PostTraumatic Stress
DisorderWorld,96KY.L.J.465,478(2008).
21See AM. PSYCHIATRIC ASSN, DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL

DISORDERS: DSMIII, at 23638 (3d ed. 1980) [hereinafter APA, DSMIII], available at
http://www.psychiatryonline.com/DSMPDF/dsmiii.pdf.
22Hawthorne,supranote4,at6(discussingthedifferentpsychologicaleffectssufferedby

combatveteransinvariouswars).
23SeeTHORPE,supranote18,at1.

24Anthony E. Giardino, Combat Veterans, Mental Health Issues, and the Death Penalty:

AddressingtheImpactofPostTraumaticStressDisorderandTraumaticBrainInjury,77FORDHAM
L.REV.2955,2973(2009).
25SeeAPA,DSMIII,supranote21,at23638.

26WEBSTER,supranote20,at5.

27See id. (explaining that these types of reactions are not the same as PTSD, which is a

medicallyrecognizedanxietydisorder).
28U.S.
DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, RETURNING FROM THE WAR ZONE: A GUIDE FOR
MILITARY PERSONNEL 11 (2010) [hereinafter VA WAR ZONE GUIDE], available at
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/reintegration/guidepdf/SMGuide.pdf.
468 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

sounds, smells, and the like, coupled with painful emotions, lead the
person to believe that he is actually reliving the traumatic event.29
Avoidance means that the person consciously avoids people, places, or
things that may remind him of the traumatic event.30 He may also shut
himself off from close personal relationships with family, friends, and
colleagues, and may also suffer from depression or survivors guilt.31
Hypervigilancemeansthatthepersonisonhighalertatalltimesandis
easilystartled.32

B. PTSDandCriminalBehavior

VeteranswhosufferfromPTSDmayfacecriminalchargesbecausethe
symptoms that they suffer from can consequently lead them to commit
criminal offenses.33 This is so because PTSD causes veterans to become
chronicallyanxious,plaguedbythetraumaticeventsthattheyexperienced
duringtheircombattours.34Heightenedanxietyintheseveteranscanhave
two possible outcomes: (1) either veterans will look to drugs and alcohol
for selfmedication; or (2) they will engage in sensationstimulating
conducttocompensateforthenumbnessthattheyfeel.35Asaconsequence
of PTSD, veterans may suffer from alcohol or substance abuse,36
homelessness,37 strained relationships,38 unemployment,39 and mental

29WEBSTER,supranote20,at6.

30VAWARZONEGUIDE,supranote28,at11.

31WEBSTER,supranote20,at6.

32VA WAR ZONE GUIDE, supra note 28, at 11; see Brian Brueggemann, Program May Get

FederalCash,BELLEVILLE NEWSDEMOCRAT (Illinois),Nov.12,2009,atA1([C]ombatveterans

spend their tours of duty on edge and on high alert for gunfire, explosions[,] and other
dangerslifealteringexperiencesthatcanonlybeunderstoodbyothermilitarymembers....
[Theyre] wound tight, 24/7. (quoting Circuit Judge Charles Romani, Jr., the head of the
MadisonCountyveteranscourt)).
33See Natl Ctr. for PTSD, Criminal Behavior and PTSD, U.S. DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS,

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/ptsdcriminalbehavior.asp(lastvisitedApr.8,2011).
34Seeid.
35Seeid.

36See
SUBSTANCE ABUSE & MENTAL HEALTH SERVS. ADMIN., U.S. DEPT OF HEALTH &
HUMAN SERVS., NATIONAL SURVEY ON DRUG USE & HEALTH 2 fig.1 (2004), available at
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k4/vetsDualDX/vetsDualDX.pdf. According to the 2003
NationalSurveyonDrugUseandHealth,in20022003moremaleveteransagedeighteento
fiftyfour suffered from substance dependence and serious mental illness than nonveteran
malesinthesameagebracket.Id.at2figs.1&2.
37Background & Statistics, NATL COAL. FOR HOMELESS VETERANS, http://www.nchv.org/

background.cfm (last visited Apr. 8, 2011). Veterans account for nearly 33% of the adult
homeless population in the United States, and on any given night over 107,000 veterans are
homeless. Id. The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans explains that a great number of
veterans are homeless for many reasons, including an extreme shortage of affordable
housing,livableincome[,]andaccesstohealthcare.Id.Additionally,mostoftheseveterans
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 469

healthissues.40

C. PTSDandtheWaronTerror

SincethebeginningoftheWaronTerrorfollowingtheSeptember11,
2001terroristattacksontheUnitedStates,morethan1.5millionmenand
women have served in U.S. military combat operations, including
OperationEnduringFreedomandOperationIraqiFreedom(OEF/OIF).41
WhiletheWaronTerrorsharessomesimilaritieswiththeVietnamWar,42
OEF/OIF has its own set of factors that make it distinguishable from
previouswarsfoughtbytheUnitedStates:
First,troopsaresubjecttolongerandlongerdeploymentstothe
war zone, which means that more veterans will be exposed to
intense combat situations, and consequently, experience more
acute stress reactions. Second, because of recent medical
advances in the treatment oftraumatic injury, veteranscan now
beexpectedtosurviveTBIandotherwounds.Therefore,moreof
themcomehome,badlydamagedinbodyandspirit.43

sufferfromPTSD,substanceabuse,anddeficientfamilyandsocialsupportnetworks.Id.
38DEPT OF DEF. TASK FORCE ON MENTAL HEALTH, AN ACHIEVABLE VISION: REPORT OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TASK FORCE ON MENTAL HEALTH 36 (2007), available at

http://www.health.mil/dhb/mhtf/MHTFReportFinal.pdf.Withthesteadyincreaseofmilitary
operations around the globe, military service members are deployed and away from their
familiesformonthsatatime,sometimesforaslongasthreeyears.Id.Timeanddistancetake
a toll on personal relationships, and an estimated 20% of service members returning from
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) in 2006 were on
theirwaytolegalseparationordivorce.Seeid.
39SeeEconomicNewsRelease,TableA5:EmploymentStatusoftheCivilianPopulation18Years

andOverbyVeteransStatus,PeriodofService,andSex,NotSeasonallyAdjusted,BUREAUOFLABOR
STATISTICS, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t05.htm (last modified Sept. 3, 2010).
Approximately 9% of the unemployed population is made up of veterans, the greatest
percentageofwhich(nearly10%)servedduringWorldWarII,Korea,andVietnam.Seeid.
40See VA WAR ZONE GUIDE, supra note 28, at 11. The Department of Veterans Affairs has

estimated that as compared to 7% of the civilian population that suffer from PTSD in the
United States, between 11% and 20% of the veterans serving in OEF/OIF developed PTSD
duringthefirstyearsoftheconflicts.Id.
41SeeGiardino,supranote24,at2955. OperationEnduringFreedombeganinAfghanistan

on October 7, 2001. Operation Enduring Freedom Operations, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG,

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/enduringfreedomops.htm (last visited Apr. 8,
2011). Operation Iraqi Freedom began on March 19, 2003 when the United States and the
United Kingdom led a joint missile strike on Baghdad. Operation Iraqi FreedomMarch 19/20
Day One, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG, http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraqi_freedom_d
1.htm(lastvisitedApr.8,2011).
42SeeHawthorne,supranote4,at9.Forexample,bothVietnamandOEF/OIFtroopsfought

counterinsurgent forces where the enemy was embedded in the civilian population, and
enemyforcesweaponsofchoicewereIEDs.Id.
43Id.at6.
470 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

OEF/OIF deployments(both multiple in numberand longerinlength

thandeploymentsduringpreviouswars)affectOEF/OIFveteransbecause
they are exposed to more frequent and longer periods of combat; this, in
turn, puts them at a greater risk of suffering from PTSD than veterans of
previous wars.44 OEF/OIF veterans who suffer TBIs during combat and
survive return from deployment and must live with a debilitating
condition.45Therefore,mentaldiseaseandbraininjuriesaremorecommon
in OEF/OIF veterans than in veterans from previous wars, which means
thattherecanbeacorrelatingincreaseinconsequentialcriminalbehavior
engaged in by these veterans.46 Offending OEF/OIF veterans needhelp to
treat the underlying causes of their criminal behavior, and veterans
treatmentcourtsareastepintherightdirection.47

II. SpecialtyCourts

A. DrugCourts

The first type of specialty court in the United States was the Drug
CourtofDadeCounty,Florida(MiamiCourt),createdin1989toreduce
crime by treating the underlying cause of offenders criminal behavior.48
TheMiamiCourtallowedthejudgetomonitoroffendersdrugtreatment
programs in order to end their drug use and consequently reduce drug
relatedcrime.49Thistypeofspecialtycourtischaracterizedbyabandoning
the adjudicative model of the criminal justice system and adopting a
collaborative team approach whereby the judge, prosecutor, defense
counsel,casemanager,andtreatmentprofessionalsworktogethertoward
thegoaloftreatingandrehabilitatingtheoffenders.50

44See supra text accompanying note 8 (discussing the increased risk of PTSD among

veteranswhoservemultiplecombattoursascomparedtothosewhoserveonetour);seealso
supra Part I.AB (explaining the symptoms of PTSD, how veterans suffer from heightened
anxietyasaconsequenceofPTSD,andhowthiscanleadtocriminalbehavior).
45SeeHawthorne,supranote4,at6.

46SeesupraPartI.B(explainingthatveteransengageincriminalbehavioreitherasameans

toselfmedicateortoengageinsensationstimulatingbehaviortocompensateforthestateof
numbnessinwhichcombathasleftthem).
47SeeinfraPartIV.

48See JOHN S. GOLDKAMP, The Origin of the Treatment Drug Court in Miami, in THE EARLY

DRUG COURTS: CASE STUDIESIN JUDICIAL INNOVATION19,19(W.ClintonTerry,IIIed.,1999).

TheDadeCounty(Miami)DrugCourtopenedin1989toaddresstheplethoraofdrugrelated
offensesthatskyrocketedinthewakeofthecrackcocaineepidemicofthe1980s.Id.;DRUG
STRATEGIES,DRUGCOURTS:AREVOLUTIONINCRIMINALJUSTICE6(1999).
49See SUZANNE CAVANAGH & DAVID TEASLEY, CONG. RESEARCH SERV., No. 951155, DRUG

COURTS:ANOVERVIEW(1996).
50SeeTamarM.Meekins,RiskyBusiness:CriminalSpecialtyCourtsandtheEthicalObligations

oftheZealousCriminalDefender,12BERKELEYJ.CRIM.L.75,91(2007);seealsoBUREAUOFJUSTICE
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 471

Screening to determine eligibility for participation in a drug court is

usually undertaken by criminal justice officials, pretrial service officials,
probation officials, or Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities
officials(TASC).51Eligibilityforparticipationinadrugcourtislimitedto
nonviolentoffenders,andthetypesofcrimes52acceptedindrugcourtvary
according to different drug court models; for example, Adult Criminal
Drug Courts accept only drug and drugdriven offenses.53 Drug courts
operate on the principles of treatment and accountability.54 Eligible
offenders are taken before the drug court immediately upon arrest or
apprehension55 and enrolled in a rehabilitative treatment program (i.e.,
Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, etc.).56 Enrolled offenders
must participate in the treatment program for a minimum of one year,57
regularlyappearincourttoapprisethejudgeoftheirprogress,andsubmit
toregularandrandomdrugtesting.58Ifanoffendersuccessfullycompletes

ASSISTANCE, U.S. DEPT OF JUSTICE, DEFINING DRUG COURTS: THE KEY COMPONENTS 3 (2004)
[hereinafter KEY COMPONENTS], available at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/DrugCourts
/DefiningDC.pdf (Once a defendant is accepted into the drug court program, the teams
focus is on the participants recovery and lawabiding behaviornot on the merits of the
pending case.). The drug court team includes judges, prosecutors, defense counsel,
probationauthorities,othercorrectionspersonnel,lawenforcement,pretrialservicesagencies,
TASC[TreatmentAlternativesforSafeCommunities]programs,evaluators,anarrayoflocal
serviceproviders,andthegreatercommunity.Id.at1.
51KEY COMPONENTS, supra note 50, at 5. TASC is a nonprofit organization that provides

rehabilitative services to individuals who suffer from substance abuse or mentalhealth

disorders.AboutTASC,Inc.,TASC,http://www.tascil.org/Preview/abouttasc.html(lastvisited
Apr.8,2011).
52Initially,theMiamiCourtonlyacceptedthefollowingcrimes:possessingorpurchasing

drugs, tampering with evidence, solicitation for purchase, or obtaining a prescription by

fraud. Daniel M. Filler & Austin E. Smith, The New Rehabilitation, 91 IOWA L. REV. 951, 966
(2006).
53See What Are Drug Courts?, NATL ASSN OF DRUG COURT PROFLS, http://www.nadcp

.org/learn/whataredrugcourts (last visited Apr. 8, 2011). Besides Adult Criminal Drug

Courts,otherdrugcourtmodelsincludeDWICourt,FamilyDrugCourt,ReentryDrugCourt,
andJuvenileDrugCourt,tonameafew.TypesofDrugCourts,NATL ASSN OF DRUG COURT
PROFLS,http://www.nadcp.org/learn/whataredrugcourts/models(lastvisitedApr.8,2011).
54NATL ASSN OF DRUG COURT PROFLS, THE FACTS ON DRUGS AND CRIME IN AMERICA 1

(2009) [hereinafter FACTS ON DRUGS AND CRIME], available at http://www.nadcp.org/sites/

default/files/nadcp/Facts%20on%20Drug%20Courts%20.pdf.
55KEYCOMPONENTS,supranote50,at5.

56Filler&Smith,supranote52,at966.

57WhatAreDrugCourts?,supranote53.

58FACTSONDRUGSANDCRIME,supranote54,at2;seeKEYCOMPONENTS,supranote50,at11

(statingthatfrequentcourtordereddrugtestingbasedonestablishedandtestedguidelines
is critical). Testing may be administered randomly or at scheduled intervals, but occurs no
less than twice a week during the first several months of an [offenders] enrollment.
Frequencythereafterwillvarydependingonparticipantprogress.Id.
472 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

the program, his chargesmay be dismissed, his sentence may be reduced

orsetaside,orhemayonlyhavetopayalesserpenalty.59However,ifthe
offender fails out of the program, he will be prosecuted immediately and
sentenced.60
Therearecurrentlymorethan2300drugcourtsoperatingthroughout
the United States,61 which receive both federal and state funding.62 With
nearly80%oftheimprisonedpopulationabusingalcoholanddrugs,drug
courtshavebeenworkingtodecreasebothdruguseandrecidivismrates.63
The recidivism rate for incarcerated drug users who commit drugrelated
offenseswithinthreeyearsafterreleaseisapproximately70%,64whilethe
rateofrecidivismfordrugcourtgraduatesismuchlower,between16and
27% in the first two years after release.65 Reduced recidivism results in
reduced prison costs and a reduction in revolvingdoor arrests and
trials.66

B. JuvenileCourts

Modeledafterdrugcourts,juvenilecourtswerecreatedtoprovidethe
same rehabilitative programs to children offenders,67 over one million of
whom faced delinquency charges68 in 1997 alone.69 While there are many

59DRUGSTRATEGIES,supranote48,at5.

60Id.at6.

61TypesofDrugCourts,supranote53.

62See Candace McCoy, The Politics of ProblemSolving: An Overview of the Origins and

Development of Therapeutic Courts, 40 AM. CRIM. L. REV. 1513, 152627 (2003) (explaining that
funding of drug courts originated federally under the 1994 Crime Act, which, in the late
1990s,grantedapproximately$30millionayearfortheestablishmentofdrugcourts,butas
drugcourtsbecameentrenchedinlocallegalcultures,stateandlocalgovernmentsbeganto
implementdrugcourtsontheirown,withoutfederalfunding).
63SeeFACTSONDRUGSANDCRIME,supranote54,at12.

64PeggyFultonHora,ThroughaGlassGavel:PredictingtheFutureofDrugTreatmentCourts,

inNATL CTR.FOR STATE COURTS, FUTURE TRENDSIN STATE COURTS 2009,at 134,137(CarolR.
Flangoetal.eds.,2009).
65FACTSONDRUGSANDCRIME,supranote54,at2.

66Id.(explainingthatdrugcourtprogramssavethecommunityonaveragebetween$4000

$12,000peroffender).
67Filler & Smith, supra note 52, at 96869 (crediting Circuit Judge John Parnham with

creating the first juvenile specialty court, a juvenile drug court, in Escambia County
(Pensacola),Floridain1995).
68Delinquency charges are charges of criminal misconduct committed by juvenile

offenders. See LESLIE J. HARRIS & LEE E. TEITELBAUM, CHILDREN, PARENTS, AND THE LAW:
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AUTHORITY IN THE HOME, SCHOOLS, AND JUVENILE COURTS 305 (2d ed.
2006).Ontheotherhand,[c]hildrenwhoengageinnoncriminalmisconductareoftenlabeled
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 473

differenttypesofjuvenilecourts,theyareallfoundedupontheprincipleof
treatment for the offender.70 The process of bringing an offending youth
throughajuvenilecourtissimilartotheprocessusedindrugcourts,and
thisisespeciallysointhecaseofJuvenileDrugCourts(JDCs):
TheJDCprocess...usuallybegin[s]withanarrest,followed
by some form of screening and assessment to determine each
youthseligibilityfor[juvenile]drugcourt.Thecourtmeetswith
each offender regularly, often weekly.... Before each hearing,
thejudgemaymeetwiththe[JDC]team(probationofficer,case
manager, prosecutor, defense attorney, treatment provider,
school representative, and so on) to review the sanctions and
services ordered for each youth, assess their effectiveness, and
make any needed modifications in treatment and supervision
arrangements.71

Likeadultsindrugcourt,juvenileoffendersinJDCundergotreatment
for the underlying substance abuse issues that they face and because of
which they committed criminal offenses.72 If an offender successfully
completes the treatment program, his charges are either dismissed or his
sentenceisreduced;however,ifhefailstocompletetheprogramthenhe
will be sent back to regular juvenile court and sentenced on the original
charges.73
There are, however, two important differences between adult drug
courtsandJDCs:inthelatter,thecourtplace[s]agreateremphasisonthe

asminorsinneedofsupervision(MINS)[or]aschildreninneedofsupervision(CINS)...
.Id.
69CHARLES PUZZANCHERA ET AL., U.S. DEPT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE &

DELINQUENCY PREVENTION, JUVENILE COURT STATISTICS 2000, at 6 (2004), available at

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/209736.pdf. A delinquency offense is an act[]
committed by [a] juvenile[] that, if committed by an adult, could result in criminal
prosecution.Id.at5.Asof2000,morethanonehalfofjuvenileoffenderswereundertheage
ofsixteen.Id.at9.
70SeeFiller&Smith,supranote52,at969.

There are . . . juvenile courts that address drug and alcohol abuse by
children, drug use by parents whose children are processed by
dependency courts, gun possession, truancy, violent acts committed by
juveniles, and . . . teen courts that are intended to impose peer pressure
onyoungoffendersforminorviolations.
Id.(footnotesomitted).
71SeeJeffreyA.Butts&JohnRoman,DrugCourtsintheJuvenileJusticeSystem,inJUVENILE

DRUGCOURTSANDTEENSUBSTANCEABUSE1,89(JeffreyA.Butts&JohnRomaneds.,2004).
72Seeid.at7.[JDCs]focus[solely]onjuveniledelinquency...andstatusoffenses([i.e.,]

truancy)thatinvolvenonviolentsubstanceusingjuveniles.JohnRomanetal.,AmericanDrug
Policy and the Evolution of Drug Treatment Courts, in JUVENILE DRUG COURTS AND TEEN
SUBSTANCEABUSE,supranote71,at27,50.
73SeeButts&Roman,supranote71,at9.
474 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

roleofthefamilythroughouttheentireprocessasameansofsupportfor
the offending juvenile while he is undergoing treatment.74 Additionally,
JDCs usually include more significant outreach to each offenders home
andcommunity....tomobilizetheeffortsofothersignificantpeopleinthe
youthslivestocreateteamsofprogrampartnersthatcanteach,supervise,
coach, and discipline youthful offenders.75 This is important because
supportforjuvenileoffendersinvariousareasoftheirlivesisparamount
fortheirsuccessinthetreatmentprogram.76

III. VeteransTreatmentCourts

A. BuffaloVeteransTreatmentCourt

The Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court (Buffalo Court) was the first
specialty court of its kind in the United States, established in January of
2008 under the direction of Buffalo City Judge Robert T. Russell, Jr.77
Modeledafterthecountydrugandmentalhealthcourts,theBuffaloCourt
was established to serve both rehabilitative and preventative functions:
offering treatment to veterans who suffer from serious physical and
emotionalconditionsthathaveledtotheircriminalbehavior,78whileatthe
same time reducing the risk of recidivism.79 The criminal justice system
lacks the resources necessary to offer treatment to veterans,80 but the
BuffaloCourtworkscloselywiththeUnitedStatesDepartmentofVeterans
Affairs(VA)aswellaslocalveteransorganizations,policeagencies,and
mental health experts to provide rehabilitative treatment to veterans via
their veterans benefits.81 Veterans and activeduty military service
membersareeligibleforcertainbenefitsthroughtheVA,includinghealth

74Id.at8.

75Id.

76Seeid.

77Zremski,supranote3.JudgeRussellalsopresidesovertheBuffaloDrugTreatmentCourt

which began in 1995, as well as the Buffalo Mental Health Treatment Court which began in
2003.TimothyS.Eckley,VeteransCourtinSessioninBuffalo,92JUDICATURE43,4344(2008).
78See Ruggeri, supra note 8 ([The court] is tailored to veterans specific needs and can

bettertakeintoaccounttheirphysicalandemotionalcondition.).
79Lou Michel, Giving Vets in Trouble Help, Not Jail, BUFFALO NEWS, Jan. 12, 2008, at A1,

availableat2008WLNR687611(explainingthattherecidivismrateintheBuffaloCourtiswell
belowthenationalaverage).
80Seeid.(statingthatthegoaloftheBuffaloCourtistoreachtroubledveteransbeforethey

enter a criminal justice system that lacks rehabilitative resources and quoting someone
involved with the Buffalo Court as saying: [W]hile the criminal justice system lacks the
resourcestotreatveterans,itwillmakeadifferencewiththe[BuffaloCourt]).
81LouMichel,TodaytoShowcaseLocalCourtforVeterans, BUFFALO NEWS,Sept.22,2008,at

B1, available at 2008 WLNR 18022691; Ruggeri, supra note 8 ([T]reatments are usually done
throughtheVA....).
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 475

and rehabilitation programs; substance abuse treatment; medical

evaluation for disorders associated with military service; housing; and
vocational rehabilitationand employment, including job searchassistance
andvocationalandeducationaltraining.82
Eligibility to take part in veterans treatment court proceedings is
limited to veterans83 who, because of their service in a combat zone or
hazardousdutyzone,sufferfromPTSD,aTBI,orothermentaldisease,and
are consequently facing criminal charges.84 The only crimes presented
before the Buffalo Court are lowlevel, nonviolent misdemeanors and
felonies;moreseriouscrimescontinuetobebroughtintheregularcriminal
justicesystem.85Atthetimewhenaservicememberisarrested,localpolice
record his veteran status to determine whether he is eligible for
participation in the Buffalo Court.86 Once inside the Buffalo Court, a VA
employee meets with each veteran to ascertain whether that veteran is
registered with the VA; if the veteran is not registered, registration takes
placeonthespotandtheveterancanthereforebeenrolledinrehabilitation
andtreatmentprogramsimmediately.87
When veterans are brought before the Buffalo Court, they are
required to plead guilty to their crimes. In exchange for a suspended
sentence that can include prison time, they must consent to [undergo a
strict rehabilitation program that includes] regular court visits,
counseling[,] and random drug testing [if applicable].88 Thereafter,
veterans are required to adhere to strict rehabilitation programs and
monthly court appearances to keep the court apprised of their progress.89
Rehabilitationandtreatmentprogramsarenotameansforveteranstoget

82ErieCountyVeteransServ.Agency,VeteransBenefitsinBrief,ERIE.GOV, http://www.erie.

gov/veterans/benefits.asp[hereinafterBuffaloVeteransBenefits](lastvisitedApr.8,2011).
83EligibilityisalsoextendedtoactivedutyservicememberswhoareeligibletoreceiveVA

benefits.ForpurposesofthisNote,Iwillcontinuetouseveterantodescribethoseeligible
to take part in veterans treatment court proceedings. Eligibility for veterans and activeduty
service members alike is conditioned upon receiving an otherthandishonorable discharge
from the military; those dishonorably discharged from the military do not receive any VA
benefits.Seesupranote4.
84See Buffalo Veterans Benefits, supra note 82 ([The] VA provides free health care for

veteranswhoservedinatheaterofcombatoperationsafterNovember11,1998,foranyillness
possiblyrelatedtotheirserviceinthattheater.);supranote5andaccompanyingtext.
85Zremski,supranote3;seeRiccardi,supranote2.

86AaronLevin,SpecialVeteransCourtFocusesonMHRecovery,PSYCHIATRIC NEWS,Sept.19,

2008,at16,availableathttp://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/43/18/local/completeissue.pdf.
87Seeid.

88Riccardi,supranote2.

89Zremski, supra note 3; see also Murray Light, OpEd., City Court Rescues Fallen Soldiers,

BUFFALONEWS,June15,2008,atH3,availableat2008WLNR11372236(Theveteransinvolved
intheprogramhavetoreportaboutonceamonthtoupdatethecourtontheirprogress.).
476 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

off easy; rather, they are a means to hold veterans ultimately accountable
for their behavior90: if the veterans fail out of the programs then their
sentences are imposed, and they face incarceration.91 However, if the
veterans graduate from the eighteenmonthlong program, their charges
aredropped,andtheycanrejoinsociety.92
One of the key components of the Buffalo Courts success is the
volunteermentoringprogram:
Mentors serve a variety of roles, including coach, facilitator,
advisor, sponsor, and supporter. Mentors listen to the concerns
and problems of participants and assist them in finding
resolutions. They observe participants and work with them to
help set goals and action plans. Mentors provide feedback to
participants and highlight their successes. Most importantly,
mentorsactasasupportfortheveteranparticipantinawaythat
onlyotherveteranscan.93

Mentors are all community volunteers, most of whom are either other
veterans or activeduty officers94 who have served in either Vietnam,
DesertStorm,Iraq,orAfghanistan.95Oneofthereasonsthatthementoring
programissosuccessfulamongveteransisthemilitarycamaraderiethatit
fosters.96 An environment97 that puts veterans alongside other veterans

90Zremski,supranote3(Thehammer[youhave]isthatiftheseguys[donot]behave,they

gobacktojail....Thatstheultimateaccountability.(quotingRep.JohnBoozman)).
91See Riccardi, supra note 2 (Should they waver from the straight and narrow, their

sentence[s][go]intoeffect.).
92EdTreleven,RockCountyOfferingSpecialCourtforVeterans,WIS.ST.J.,July19,2009,atA1,

available at 2009 WLNR 13879915 (It takes up to [eighteen] months to get through the
program....);seeRobertT.Russell,VeteransTreatmentCourt:AProactiveApproach,35 NEW
ENG. J. ON CRIM. & CIV. CONFINEMENT 357, 369 (2009) (Upon successful completion of the
program, not only are veterans sober and stable, many also have their charges reduced or
dismissed,orreceiveacommitmentofnonincarceration.).
93Russell,supranote92,at370.
94Lewis,supranote11.

95Michel,supranote81.
96Zremski,supranote3.
97Judge Russells court is a nonadversarial, calming, [and] therapeutic environment

where veterans are allowed to communicate in open dialogue with the judge. Carolyn
Thompson, Defendants With Common Bond, TIMES UNION (Albany, N.Y.), July 7, 2008, at A3,
available at 2008 WLNR 12732594 (quoting Judge Robert T. Russell); Steven Walters, Special
CourtsUrgedforVeterans,MILWAUKEE J. SENTINEL,Oct.28,2008,atB3,availableat2008WLNR
20560406.JudgeRusselldescribeshisnonadversarialapproach:
Tofacilitatetheveteransprogressintreatment,theprosecutorand
defensecounselshedtheirtraditionaladversarialcourtroomrelationship
and work together as a team. Once a veteran is accepted into the
treatment court program, the teams focus is on the veterans recovery
andlawabidingbehaviornotonthemeritsofthependingcase.
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 477

goes a long way to breaking offending veterans warrior mentality98 and

promoting rehabilitationthis is especially important considering that a
number of the court members are themselves veterans or prior service
members.99
The Buffalo Court has formed partnerships with federal, state, and
local authorities in order to successfully implement rehabilitation and
treatmentprogramsforveterans.100Additionally,anadhoccommitteewas
formed101 to assist in outreach and delivery of free legal services to
veterans, service members and their families, by attorneys who have
knowledge in the particular areas of law that affect the lives of veterans
and service members.102 In addition to pro bono legal services, Judge
RussellvolunteershistimetopresideoversessionsintheBuffaloCourt103
that meet either weekly or biweekly,104 all of the mentors volunteer their
time,105 and the VA and other local groups fund the treatment and
rehabilitationprograms.106Theonlyaddedexpensescomefromtheneedto
hireacourtcoordinatorandcasemanagerstooverseeveteranscasesand
theirparticipationintreatmentprograms.107Whileitmayseemmorecostly
for veterans to go through treatment programs under the direction of the
Buffalo Court, it actually costs less than ten percent of the total amount
spentonincarceratinganindividual.108

Russell,supranote92,at365(emphasisadded).
98SeeMichel,supranote81.

99Forexample,HankPirowski,ProjectDirectorfortheBuffaloCourt,isaMarineveteran,

and Jack OConnor, Mentor Coordinator for the Buffalo Court, is an Army veteran. See Erie
Cnty.VeteransServ.Agency,TheBuffaloVeteransTreatmentCourt,ERIE.GOV,http://www.erie
.gov/veterans/veterans_court.asp(lastvisitedApr.8,2011).
100Partners
include: local VA organizations, the VA Health Center Network, police
agencies,andmentalhealthexperts.SeeMichel,supranote81;Russell,supranote92,at365.
101 The ad hoc committee is headed by Buffalo attorney Jennifer Stergion in partnership

with the Erie County VA, the Volunteer Lawyers Project, the VFW, and other local groups.
Michel,supranote81.
102Id.
103SeeRuggeri,supranote8.

104MatthewDaneman,CourtinN.Y.GivesVetsChancetoStraightenOut,USA TODAY,June

2,2008,at3A,availableat2008WLNR10385135.
105SeeLewis,supranote11.

106SeeRuggeri,supranote8.Sinceveteransandactivedutyservicememberswhoreceive

otherthandishonorabledischargesareeligibleforVAbenefits,seesupranote83,thereisno
addedexpensefortherehabilitationandtreatmentprograms.SeeVA FACT SHEET, supranote
4, at 1. Additionally, in 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services started
offering grant money to community programs that divert people with traumarelated
disorders,andespeciallyveterans,fromthecriminaljusticesystem.Light,supranote89.
107SeeRuggeri,supranote8.

108See id. ([Hank Pirowski, the Buffalo Courts Project Manager,] estimates that the total

costofeachveterangoingthroughthecourtis$2,700.Jail,hesays,costsbetween$30,000and
478 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

FromJanuary2008toSeptember2009,120veteransenteredtheBuffalo
Courtstreatmentprogram.109Whilethreefourthsoftheveteranswhofirst
appeared before the court did not have jobs,110 all are now employed or
pursuingfurthereducation(saveonlyfivewhofailedoutoftheprogram
and were returned to the regular criminal justice system).111 Because the
program takes more than a year to complete,112 there were only eighteen
graduates as of late 2009.113 However, more than ninety percent of the
veteranstreatmentappointmentshavebeenkept;114therehavebeennore
arrests; the homeless now have housing; and many of the veterans have
beenabletomendstrainedrelationships.115

B. OtherVeteransTreatmentCourtsintheUnitedStates

Since the Buffalo Court opened in January 2008, other counties in the
UnitedStateshaveestablishedveteranstreatmentcourts,includingElPaso
County, Colorado;116 Rock County, Wisconsin;117 Lackawanna County,
Pennsylvania;118CookCounty,Illinois;119MadisonCounty,Illinois; 120and

$32,000peryear.)(emphasisadded).
109SeeZremski,supranote3.

110Walters,supranote97.

111Zremski,supranote3.

112Daneman,supranote104.

113Zremski,supranote3.

114JimSuhr,NewCourtsAimtoGiveVeteransSecondChance,SEATTLE TIMES, May22,2009,

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2009252160_apusveteranscourts.html
(More than [ninety] percent of the veterans treatment appointments have been kept [in
Buffalo],dwarfingtheaveragerateof[thirtyfive]percentatgeneraltreatmentclinics....).
115See
Zremski, supra note 3; see also supra notes 3738 (discussing homelessness and
strainedrelationshipsamongveterans).
116SeeNewsRelease, ColoradoJudicialBranch,FourthJudicialDistrict,ColoradoSprings,

El Paso County Officials to Introduce Veteran Trauma Court (Feb. 24, 2010), available at
http://www.courts.state.co.us/Media/Press_Docs/VTC%20PR%20FINAL%202.24.2010.pdf
[hereinafter Colorado Judicial Branch, News Release]. El Paso Countys Veteran Trauma
CourtwaslaunchedbyDistrictJudgeRonaldCrowder,MajorGeneral,ArmyNationalGuard
(Retired),onFebruary25,2010,inColoradoSprings,Colorado.Seeid.
117SeeTreleven,supranote92.CircuitJudgeJamesDaleyhasbeenpresidingovertheRock

County Veterans Treatment Court since it opened in September 2009. See id. Wisconsin
Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson says that the veterans treatment court
programhelp[s]offendersrecoverandreduce[s]recidivism,whichiscriticalasnearlyfour
thousandWisconsinNationalGuardservicememberswillbereturningfromIraqwithinthe
next few years. See Ted Sullivan, Chief Justice Praises Veterans Court, JANESVILLE GAZETTE
(Wis.),Jan.14,2010,at3A,availableat2010WLNR850734.
118See Ashley Teatum, Court Targeting Veterans Special Needs, TIMESTRIB. (Scranton, Pa.),

Sept. 25, 2009, at A7, available at 2009 WLNR 18924480. The Lackawanna County Veterans
CourtopenedinSeptember2009withJudgeMichaelBarrassepresiding.Seeid.
119SeeMatthewWalberg,VeteransCourtOffersHelpingHand,CHI. TRIB.,July15,2009,at18,
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 479

Denton County, Texas.121 These veterans treatment courts follow the

Buffalo Court model, extending eligibility only to those veterans whose
criminal behavior occurred because of a brain injury [TBI], mental
illness[,]ormentaldisorder[,]or[PTSD]thatoccurredwhiletheywerein
militaryserviceinacombatzoneorahazardousdutyarea.122To reiterate,
thereisnofreepasswhenitcomestoadmittingveteransintoaveterans
treatmentcourt;theireligibilityisbasednotupontheirstatusasamilitary
veteran,butratheruponthenotionthattheircriminalconductwascaused
byanunderlyingphysicalorpsychologicalinjurythatwasincurredduring
militaryserviceinacombatzone.123
Theseveteranstreatmentcourts,liketheBuffaloCourt,recognizethat
offendingveteranshavespecializedneedsthathavetobeconsideredwhen
determining appropriate rehabilitative programs to treat the underlying
causesoftheircriminalbehaviorspecifically,combatveteransaretrained
tobeviolent,andthereforeitisdifficultforthemtoreadjusttocivilianlife
whenreturninghomefromdeployment.124Thecourtsrealizethat[w]hile

available at 2009 WLNR 13467430. The Cook County Veterans Court was started by Circuit
JudgeJohnKirbyinApril2009.Seeid.
120SeeBrueggemann,supranote32.TheMadisonCountyVeteransCourtstartedinMarch

2009andispresidedoverbyCircuitJudgeCharlesRomani,Jr.Seeid.
121See B.J. Lewis, Denton Program Allows Alternate Court Sentencing for Veterans, DALLAS

NEWS.COM (Dec. 22, 2009, 12:00 AM), http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/

news/localnews/stories/DNveterans_22met.ART.State.Edition1.af0cbd.html. The Denton
County program (created in December 2009) is not a separate veterans treatment court, but
rather a program based upon veterans treatment courts where criminal courts can use
alternatesentencingmethods forveteranswhocommittedcriminaloffensesandsufferfrom
somedisabilitiescausedbytheirmilitaryservice.Seeid.
122Seeid.

123Itisimportanttounderstandthatveteransinveteranstreatmentcourtsdonotenjoya

privilege based upon their status as a military service member. The [veterans treatment
court]wontbeafreepassformenandwomenaccusedofcrimesjustbecausetheyhappento
haveamilitarybackground.Id.(quotingMitchLyles,directorofadultprobationforDenton
County). Consider one concern expressed by an American Civil Liberties Union spokesman
comparingaproposedveteranstreatmentcourtinNevadawiththeveteranstreatmentcourt
establishedinCookCounty,Illinois:TheconcernexpressedinNevadawasthatindividuals
who served in the military were sort of automatically transferred into this special court and
were provided some options for lowerlevel sentences. It was based on the [military] status
rather than the crime. See Walberg, supra note 119 (emphasis added) (quoting Ed Yohnka,
spokesman for the ACLU of Illinois) (illustrating that the Cook County Veterans Court was
workingwellbecauseit did notgrantanyfreepassesto veteransbasedupon theirstatus,
but rather offered veterans treatment based upon the psychological damage these veterans
suffered as a consequence of their combat service); see also id. (Those who choose to
participatein[veteranstreatmentcourts]dontreceiveanyspecialtreatmentunderthelaw.)
(emphasisadded).
124SeeTeatum,supranote118([V]eterans...aretrainedtobeviolent.Thatstherealityof

it.[They]comehomeonaFriday,andweexpectthemtotransitionandbebacktoworkona
480 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

themilitarydoesabetterjobnowdebriefing[servicemenandwomen]...
they still face lasting physical and emotional problems caused by combat
that sometimes lead to scrapes with the law.125 Those involved in the
veterans treatment courts agree that incarceration is not going to solve
these veterans problems;126 rather, a collaborative effort to provide
offendingveteranswithtreatmentwillbetterservetheirneeds.127
Like the Buffalo Court, other established veterans treatment courts
operate upon the notions of treatment and accountability.128 Additionally,
theyalsoemployateamapproach;129veteransarescreeneduponintake
into jail;130 VA personnel remain in court to verify veterans benefits
registrationstatus;131VAresourcesfundtreatmentprograms,whichmeans
thattherearenoextraexpenses;132andoffendingveteransarepairedwith
mentors with similar military backgrounds.133 Like the Buffalo Court,
these veterans treatment courts see thevalue in fosteringan environment
of military camaraderie in the court.134 These courts can capitalize on the
notionsthattheseveteranshavehadstructureintheirlives,and[i]f[the
courts]cangetthemassistance,[theyare]goingtobeallright.135Thefact

Monday.(quotingPennsylvaniaSupremeCourtJusticeSeamusMcCaffrey,aretiredMarine
Colonel)).
125Treleven,supranote92(quotingCircuitJudgeJamesDaleywhopresidesovertheRock

CountyVeteransTreatmentCourtinRockCounty,Wisconsin).
126SeeWalberg,supranote119.

127See Sullivan, supra note 117 (Judges are expected to handle cases and sentence
offenders,buttheyalsoshouldhelpdealwithsocietalproblemssuchasaddictionormental
health.... (quoting Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson)). Those
typesofsocietalproblemsarenotuncommonamongveterans.SeesupraPartI.B.
128SeeSullivan,supranote117(explainingthateventhoughtheveteranstreatmentcourts

work to help offenders recover and reduce recidivism, . . . the offenders are [still] held
accountable).
129SeeTedSullivan,RockCountyIsHometoStatesFirstVeteransCourt,JANESVILLE GAZETTE

(Wis.),Sept.20,2009,at3A,availableat2009WLNR18553795(explainingthat,forexample,the
RockCountyVeteransTreatmentCourtwouldbepremiseduponanagreementbetweenthe
prosecution and defense counsel to admit eligible offending veterans into court in order to
providethemwithrehabilitativeprogramsinexchangefortheirguiltypleas).
130SeeWalberg,supranote119.

131SeeTreleven,supranote92.

132SeeWalberg,supranote119(Theresnoextracostbecausewhatthisreallydoesisplace

[veterans] into services that arealready out there. (quoting Circuit Judge John Kirby of the
CookCountyVeteransCourtinIllinois)).
133Sullivan,supranote117.

134SeeBrueggemann,supranote32.

135Id.(quotingTylerBateman,publicdefenderfortheMadisonCountyVeteransCourtin

Illinois). Indeed, Bateman has explained that veteran offenders, because of the military
structure in which they have lived their lives, are different from other types of offenders in
thattheyarriveontime[tocourt]andtheyallstandwhenthejudgeentersthecourtroom.
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 481

thatveterans[have]haddisciplineandfollowedordersatprevioustimes
in their lives gives veterans treatment courts an inroad to helping
offending veteransthe courts can tap into [veterans] ability to be
disciplined and follow orders, which will help the court to help veterans
getthetreatmenttheyneed.136Further,thecomfortlevelthatveteransfeel
relating to other veterans137 also encourages offending veterans to
participate in veterans treatment court programs since many members of
thecourtsarethemselvesveterans.138

IV. VeteransTreatmentCourts:CapitalizingontheBenefitsofOther
SpecialtyCourtsWhileSatisfyingVeteransSpecificNeeds

A. MaximizingtheTeamApproachofDrugCourtsandJDCs

DrugcourtsandJDCsuseateamapproachincourtproceedingsthat
eliminates the adversarial nature of criminal adjudication and fosters
collaborationnotonlybetweenthejudge,prosecutor,anddefenseattorney,
but also among mental health experts, treatment supervisors, probation
officers, and case managers.139 The main purpose of this collaborative
approachis to put the underlying needs of the individual offender above
the courts traditional administration of justice by sentencing criminal
offenderstoincarceration.140Likethesespecialtycourts,veteranstreatment
courts also employ a team approach that incorporates the efforts of the
judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, mental health experts, casemanagers
andthelike,andwhosefocusisontreatmentforoffendingveteransrather
thanincarceration.141Veteranstreatmentcourts,however,canmakecertain

Id.
136SeeSullivan,supranote129.

137SeeZremski,supranote3.

138SeeBrueggemann,supranote32(explainingthatCircuitJudgeCharlesRomani,Jr.,who

presidesovertheMadisonCountyVeteransCourtinIllinois,isaformerArmySergeantwho
servedduringtheVietnamWar);Treleven,supranote92(explainingthatCircuitJudgeJames
Daley, who presides over the Rock County Veterans Treatment Court, is a Marine combat
veteran who took part in 24 shiptoshore assaults in Vietnam from April 1967 to January
1968 [and,] [w]hen his combat rotation ended, . . . went home before his last posting in
Virginia, flying into Milwaukee only 72 hours after his last fire fight); Colorado Judicial
Branch, News Release, supra note 116 (explaining that District Judge Ronald Crowder, who
presides over the El Paso County Veterans Trauma Court, is a retired Major General of the
ArmyNationalGuard).
139SeeMeekins,supranote50,at91;supratextaccompanyingnote50.

140See KEY COMPONENTS, supra note 50, at 3 (explaining that once the team comes

together the focus shiftsawayfromthe meritsofthe caseandontotheoffendersrecovery

andlawabidingbehavior).
141See supra note 97 (describing Judge Russells nonadversarial approach in the Buffalo

Court, which is similar to the approach taken by drug courts and JDCs and focuses on the
482 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

changestomaximizethiscollaborativeapproachinordertohelpoffending
veterans.142

1. FamilyInvolvement

Asexplainedabove,JDCsinvolvejuvenileoffendersfamilymembers
ineverystageoftherehabilitativeprocess.143FamilyinvolvementforJDC
offenders is particularly important because the cause of a juveniles
substanceabuse behavior can be linked to developmental and family
related risk factors.144 Thus, to involvea juvenile offendersfamily in his
treatment program helps to reinforce the rehabilitative regime at home
(whenthejuvenileisoutofsightofthecourt).145
LikeJDCs,veteranstreatmentcourtsshouldalsoinvolvetheveterans
familiesineverystageoftherehabilitativeprocess.Recallthatveteransin
veteranstreatmentcourtssufferfromPTSD,TBIs,orothermentaldiseases
that can cause substance abuse, domestic violence, or other criminal
activity.146 Also, as a consequence of PTSD, veterans may suffer from
homelessness, strained relationships, unemployment, and mental health
issues.147 Arguably, the negative consequences of PTSD, TBIs, and other
combatrelatedmentalinjuries,affecttheveteransfamiliesbecausetheyall
put pressure on alreadystrained family relationships.148 Like juvenile
offendersinJDCs,veteranoffendersneedsupportathometoreinforcethe
rehabilitative process. Juvenile offenders in JDCs, in addition to support
from family members, also receive support from members of their
communitysignificant people in the youths lives who help the
juvenile offenders by teaching, coaching, supervising, and supporting
them.149 However, while veterans treatment courts reach out to mentors
andlocalVAorganizations,150thesignificantpeopleinveteranslivesare
their familiesthey are the ones whom veterans had to leave behind in
ordertofightincombat,andtheyaretheoneswhoveteranscomehometo.

offendersrecoveryandthereductionofrecidivism,asopposedtothemeritsofthepending
case).
142SeeinfraPartIV.A.12.

143SeeButts&Roman,supranote71,at8.

144Id.

145Seeid.

146Seesupratextaccompanyingnote9.

147SeesupraPartI.B.

148Foradiscussionoftheeffectsofcombatonveteransfamilyrelationships,seesupranote

38 (explaining that multiple and prolonged deployments put too much strain on veterans
personalrelationships,somuchsothatnearlytwentypercentofOEF/OIFveteransarelegally
separatedordivorced).
149SeeButts&Roman,supranote71,at8.

150SeesupraPartIII.
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 483

Therefore, it is very important that veterans treatment courts involve

veterans families in the rehabilitation process, for they are the ones who
will reap the benefits of the treatment that veterans will receive at the
directionofandwiththesupportoftheveteranstreatmentcourts.

2. TrainingVeteranMentors

Asexplainedabove,juvenileoffendersinJDCreceiveoutsidesupport
andguidancefromfamilymembersaswellasmembersofthecommunity
tohelpthemsuccessfullycompletetheirtreatmentprograms.151However,
neither drug courts nor JDCs have implemented mentoring programs
where similarly situated individuals help to coach the offenders through
therehabilitativeprocess;veteranstreatmentcourts,however,haveadded
veteranmentorstotheirteam,whichhashelpedtofosteramilitarylike
environment within the courts.152 As explained above, the mentors are
either veterans or activeduty officers, most of whom served in combat
operationsduringOEF/OIForpreviouswars.153Veteranstreatmentcourts
have found that the veterans are responding positively to the peer
mentoring because the offending veterans can relate to their mentors as
peoplewhotrulyunderstandwhatitisliketostandintheirshoesbecause
theirmentorshaveservedincombattoursthemselves.154Mentorsrelateto
the veterans through their shared military experiences, and this is
importantbecauseitfosterscamaraderieandhelpstobreaktheveteransof
their warrior mentality, so that they will be much more receptive to
treatment.155
ThisNote,however,arguesthatitisnotenoughthatmentorscanrelate
to offending veterans and support them in their rehabilitative programs;
rather, veterans treatment courts should implement mentor training
programs that should educate mentors on court procedures and the
various rehabilitation programs. In Wisconsin, the La Crosse County
Veterans Court Initiative Mentors Program was created to teach mentors
about the court process, available resources, interviewing techniques[,]
and the VA system.156 Since mentors act as a link between veteran

151SeesupraPartIV.A.1.

152See supra text accompanying notes 9799 (explaining that an environment in which the

veteran offender is surrounded by other military veterans goes a long way in fostering
rehabilitation).
153Seesupranotes9496andaccompanyingtext.

154SeeZremski,supranote3(Onereason[peermentoring]worksisthecamaraderiethat

comes with serving in the military. (quoting Patrick W. Welch, director of the Erie County
VeteransServiceAgency)).
155Seesupratextaccompanyingnotes9799.

156MentorTrainingStartsforVeteransCourt,LACROSSE TRIB. (Wis.),Dec.7,2009[hereinafter

Mentor Training], http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_fe9edee2e2ec11de8695001cc

484 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

offenders and veterans treatment courts, it is important that they

understandvariousaspectsoftheveteranstreatmentcourtprocesssothat
during meetings with veteran offenders they can do more for them than
merely relate to them on a personal level.157 With training, [t]he mentor
can discuss [with the offender] options on applying for veteran benefits
and then get the veteran to meet with the county [VA] officer and do
followup screenings to identify any potential mental health issues.158
Trained mentors need not undergo extensive training in every area of the
courtprocess,butitisenoughthattheyaretrainedtorecognizewhenan
individualisinneedofspecificVAormentalhealthassistance.

B. PreventativeScreeningandTreatmentProcedurestoPrevent
CriminalConductfromOccurringattheOutset

Both drug courts and JDCs have implemented early screening

procedures to identify those offenders who may be eligible for
participation in treatment programs offered by specialty courts.159
Similarly,veteranstreatmentcourtsscreenoffendingveteransuponarrest
to determine whether they are eligible for participation in veterans
treatment court programs.160 Eligible veterans are then taken to veterans
treatment court where VA personnel determine whether they are
registeredtoreceiveVAbenefits,andifnot,theveteransareregisteredon
the spot.161 While this is an efficient means by which to ensure that all
veterans treatment court participants are registered with the VA and
receivetheirVAbenefits,thisNotearguesthatbetterprogramsshouldbe
implemented for returning combat veterans who suffer from PTSD, TBIs,
and other mental diseases to ensure that these veterans receive
preventativescreeningandtreatmentbeforeanycriminalconductarises.
Onewaytoreducecrimeistopreventitfromhappeningattheoutset.
The statistics show that of the 1.6 million OEF/OIF combat veterans
deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, 25% of multipletour combat veterans
suffer from PTSD, as compared to 12% of singletour combat veterans;162
approximately 20% of combat veterans suffer from a TBI;163 and many
combat veterans returning home from deployment are facing criminal

4c03286.html.
157SeeRussell,supranote92,at370.

158MentorTraining,supranote156.

159Seesupranotes51,71andaccompanyingtext.

160Seesupranotes86,130andaccompanyingtext.

161SeeLevin,supranote86.

162Ruggeri,supranote8.

163RANDNewsRelease,supranote6.
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 485

charges as a result of their PTSD or TBI.164 These numbers are significant

andillustratethatlargenumbersofcombatveteransshouldreceivemental
health treatment when returning home from deployment, regardless of
their propensity to commit criminal offenses in the future. With the large
numbersoftroopswhowillbereturningfromdeploymentinthecoming
years,165 preventative treatment would go a long way in helping to treat
veterans physical, mental, and emotional combatrelated injuries,
hopefullybeforetheyresultincriminalconduct.

C. LookingForward:VeteransTreatmentCourtsShouldConsider
ExpandingEligibilitytoIncludeViolentVeteranOffendersWho
AlsoSufferfromPTSDorTBIs

Drugcourts,JDCs,andveteranstreatmentcourtsalladmitnonviolent
offenders to participate in the courts rehabilitative programs.166 It makes
sense that only nonviolent offenders would be admitted into such
programs since successful completion by an offender means that the
offenders charges may be dismissed or his sentence may be reduced
substantially.167 Violent offenses are left for adjudication in regular court
sessions.168
However,inthecaseofveteranstreatmentcourts,anargumentcanbe
madethatviolentveteranoffenderswhoseconductisaconsequenceofthe
combatrelated PTSD or TBIs from which they suffer would be more
suitablefortreatmentinveteranstreatmentcourtthanincarcerationinthe
criminal justice system.169 Judge Russell of the Buffalo Court said,
[Establishingveteranscourtsis]therightthingtodoforthosewhohave
madeanumberofsacrificesforus.Iftheyvebeendamagedandinjuredin
the course of their service... and we can help them become stable, we
must.170
Judge Russell saidand studies have shown171that [w]arrelated
illnesses often contribute to... arrest, incarceration, divorce, domestic

164SeeRiccardi,supranote2;supraPartI.B.

165SeeRoberts,supranote5(explainingthatFortBlissisexpectedtogrowfromitscurrent

20,000troopsto34,000troopsby2013,manyofwhomwillbedeployed);Sullivan,supranote
117(explainingthatapproximately3900membersoftheWisconsinNationalGuardaredueto
returnhomefromIraqinthecomingyears).
166Zremski,supranote3;seeRiccardi,supranote2;supratextaccompanyingnote52.

167Seesupratextaccompanyingnotes8892.

168SeeZremski,supranote3.

169SeesupraPartI.

170Riccardi,supranote2(quotingJudgeRussell).

171See, e.g., supra notes 3640 (explaining some of the statistics related to certain

consequencesveteransfaceasaresultofPTSD).
486 NewEnglandLawReview v.45|463

violence, homelessness[,] and despair.172 Violent veteran offenders who

sufferfromPTSD,TBIs,ormentalillnessshouldbeeligiblefortreatmentin
veterans treatment courts because they suffer from the same underlying
injuries and illnesses that have caused their criminal behavior that
nonviolentveteranoffenderssufferfrom.Itisargued:
Theviolentoffendersneedhelpmorethananybody...thevery
skills these people are taught to follow in combat are the skills
thatareariskathome.Ifyouaregoingtocreatespecialjudicial
programs to help veterans, does it make sense to give special
servicesonlytothosewhoneedhelptheleast?173

Because warrelated mental illnesses such as PTSD and TBIs are a

direct consequence of the combat environment in which these veterans
have had to live for extended periods of time, and in many cases for
multipletours,treatmentfortheseillnessesnotincarcerationistheonly
waytobreakthecycleofviolentcriminalbehavior.174
By no means does this Note condone violent criminal behavior or
arguethatveteransshouldgetoffeasybecauseoftheirveteranstatus.175To
the contrary, this Note argues that violent veteran offenders, just as
nonviolent veteran offenders, should be held responsible for their crimes;
however,sincetheysufferfromthesameunderlyingmentalillnessesthat
cause their criminal behavior as their compatriots, they should be given
equalaccesstoveteranstreatmentcourtsthatwillofferthemtreatmentin
return for accountability.176 Just as nonviolent veteran offenders remain
accountable to the court for the entire eighteenmonth long rehabilitation
program,177 so too should veteran offenders charged with violent crimes.
They should be given the same system of rewards and sanctions as
nonviolent veteran offenders: if they succeed, their sentence will be
reduced, and if they fail then they will be sent to criminal court for

172Michel,supranote81(quotingJudgeRussell).

173DahliaLithwick,ASeparatePeace:WhyVeteransDeserveSpecialCourts,NEWSWEEK, Feb.

11, 2010, at 20 (quoting Robert Alvarez, a psychotherapist with the Wounded Warrior
program),availableathttp://www.newsweek.com/id/233415.
174SeeMichel,supranote79(explainingthatthecriminaljusticesystemlackstheresources

necessary to help veterans, arguably because they cannot offer veterans the necessary
treatment to help them overcome the underlying mental illnesses or brain injuries that they
sufferfromandwhichcausethemtocommitcriminaloffenses).
175Seesupranotes9092andaccompanyingtext(arguingthattreatmentprogramsthrough

veteranstreatmentcourtsarenotameansforoffendingveteranstogetoffeasybecausethey
are held to strict rehabilitation programs and they are held accountable for their
participationor lack thereofin such programs and illustrating that, if they succeed, they
are rewarded with dismissal of the charges or a reduced sentence, but if they fail they are
immediatelyprosecutedandsentencedinregularcourt).
176Seesupranotes17374andaccompanyingtext.

177SeesupraPartIII.A.
2011 Veterans Treatment Courts 487

prosecution.178

CONCLUSION

OEF/OIF veterans are unique in that since they face multiple and
prolongedperiodsofcombat,thetraumathattheyexperiencecanleadto
heightened, chronic anxiety that can cause them to engage in criminal
behavior.Veteranstreatmentcourts,whilemodeledafterdrugcourtsand
juvenilecourts,canextendtheteamapproachcreatedbythesecourtsin
ordertoprovidetheseveteranswithbettersuitedrehabilitativeprograms
tomeettheirspecializedneeds.Thecourtsshouldextendtheteammodel
toincludeveteransfamilymembersduringallstagesoftherehabilitative
process. This ensures that veterans continue to receive support and
guidance at home from those who are most significant in their lives.
Additionally, the courts should implement mentor training programs to
educate veteran mentors so that they can do more for offending veterans
than just relate to themthey will be able to recognize when offending
veterans are in need of VA or mental health assistance and can more
effectivelyguidetheveteransthroughthecourtprocess.Further,veterans
treatmentcourtsshouldworkcloselywiththeVAtoimplementscreening
andtreatmentprocedurestotreatveteranssufferingfromPTSDandTBIs
inanefforttopreventcriminaloffensesfromhappeninginthefirstplace.
Finally, an argument can be made that veterans treatment courts
should consider extending eligibility to violent veteran offenders. Such
offenders suffer from the same underlying physical or psychological
injuriesasnonviolentveteranoffenders,andsuchinjuriesweresustained
inthesametheaterofcombat.Therefore,onecanarguethattheseviolent
veteranoffenderscombatveteranswhohavebeentrainedtobeviolent
arethosemostinneedofrehabilitativeprograms.Thisdoesnotmeanthat
violentveteranoffenderswillnotbeheldaccountablefortheirconduct;it
only means that they should be given the same opportunity for
rehabilitation that is available to nonviolent veteran offenders. Violent
veteranoffenderswillbeheldtothesamestrictrehabilitativeprogramas
nonviolent veteran offenders, and will suffer the same consequences for
failuretoconformtheirbehavior.

178SeesupraPartIII.A.