A pilot program that created a specialized court for veterans struggling with addiction and mental illness in Hennepin County, Minnesota has proven to be successful and should continue, recommended the authors of a study conducted by the county’s research division. Eighty-three percent of the 141 defendants accepted into its Veterans Court program during 2010 through 2012 committed fewer offenses after six months in the program than during the previous six months. In addition, 56% of defendants have not reoffended in the 24 months since entering the program. County officials estimate that without the court’s intervention, their overall recidivism rate would have been 75%.
The specialized court has also proven to be extremely cost effective. While the county pays $2,000 to $3,000 per day on treatment and mental health services for each veteran, the cost for Veterans Court probation services for the same veteran is about $25 per day.
The Veterans Court primarily accepts veterans charged with offenses like drunken driving and domestic assault, but has also taken cases involving terroristic threats, drug possession, and property crimes. Nearly all participants are white and approximately half have been deployed overseas at least once, most commonly to Iraq.
The court, which is one of 75 in the nation, borrows best practices from mental health and drug court programs and requires (1) completion of chemical dependency treatment and domestic abuse programs, or both, and (2) work with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Graduates spend an average of 14 months under court supervision and usually make nine court appearances. During the period covered by the study, 41 participants graduated, eight were terminated for noncompliance, and seven voluntarily withdrew and returned to criminal court.
