“Be All That You Can Be”: The Role of Identity, Pro-Social Labeling, and Narratives in Veterans Treatment Courts*

Abstract

Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) are one of the ever-developing brands of specialty or problem-solving courts that have emerged in recent decades. These courts recognize that the criminal behavior stems from a variety of issues, and that punishment should represent a therapeutic jurisprudential approach in its strategies. As such, VTCs treat substance abuse and mental health issues and address criminality in a manner that recognizes a need for individualized treatment and accountability in structure. This research provides an in-depth institutional ethnography of one Southern California VTC (SC VTC). To understand the powerful transformative tools of identity and narrative, this research utilized over 3 years of non-participant observation at 117 court sessions in the SC VTC, and 23 in-depth interviews with both current court participants and graduates and a judge, exploring participants' experiences with and perceptions of the SC VTC. This study demonstrates the utility of identity-based narratives to navigate legal systems and potentially desist from crime. These mechanisms of narrative and identity provide a powerful illumination of these courts that have ramifications for successful reintegration into society post-criminal justice interaction.