Most veterans transition to civilian life trouble-free. For those who struggle with their transition to the point that they are arrested and jailed, VA created the VJO Program, which connects veterans with supports and services to help avoid re-incarceration. The program relies on VJO specialists to link veterans to treatment. GAO was asked to review the management of the VJO Program. This report examines 1) how the program delivers services and the number and characteristics of veterans in the program, 2) the extent to which VA uses performance assessment of the program, and 3) the key challenges VA has identified and the extent to which VA has developed mitigation strategies. GAO obtained VA data on program participants for fiscal years 2012 through 2015; reviewed documents; interviewed VA officials and staff from nine areas served by a VA medical center and selected for their geographic diversity and differences in the structures of local criminal justice systems; and in three of the areas interviewed criminal justice system stakeholders and veterans. While information from these interviews cannot be generalized, they provide insights on program challenges and operations.

Most veterans transition to civilian life trouble-free. For those who struggle with their transition to the point that they are arrested and jailed, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created the Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Program, which connects veterans with supports and services to help avoid re-incarceration. The program relies on VJO specialists to link veterans to treatment. This report examines (1) how the program delivers services and the number and characteristics of veterans in the program; (2) the extent to which VA uses performance assessment for the program; and (3) the key challenges VA has identified and the extent to which VA has developed mitigation strategies. Tables and figures. This is a print on demand report.

Veterans who have been arrested and jailed are at an increased risk of homelessness, mental health conditions, and suicide. To address these concerns and prevent reincarceration, VA created the VJO program, which served over 30,000 veterans in fiscal year 2020. This report examines the extent to which VA has (1) implemented the act’s hiring and reporting requirements, (2) identified and addressed barriers that veterans face in accessing VJO specialists, and (3) conducted and used research to improve the use of VA services by veterans in the program. GAO is making three recommendations to VA, including that VA improve VJO specialists’ training to increase awareness of services available to veterans with other-than- honorable discharges; and enhance planning for research on the use of VA services by veterans in criminal justice systems.

Written by experts in the field, this book addresses the serious and increasingly public concern over the mental health of veterans after military deployment. It examines the intersection of criminal and civil legal issues with mental problems in the veteran population and describes various effective programs that have been developed to address these issues. It includes a wide range of useful topics examining the particular criminal justice problems faced by vets, such as sexual abuse and violence as well as the legal institutions that have been established to handle these problems, such as veterans courts, family courts, and the Veterans Justice Outreach program. The book also provides coverage of special groups such as women and homeless veterans. It is a concise but comprehensive view of this salient topic that is useful for students, practitioners, and policy makers.

"This Manual addresses a practice area of great importance to hundreds of thousands of individuals who have served in the United States armed forces, but are often denied the title of "veteran" and excluded from the benefits and services usually offered to veterans"--

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.