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

Abstract

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