Erickson John W
Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, United States.
Int J Law Psychiatry. 2016 Nov-Dec;49(Pt B):221-225. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.10.009. Epub 2016 Oct 27.
Veterans Treatment Courts (VTCs) were created to: (1) address issues unique to U.S. Military Veterans; and, (2) where possible, avoid punishing veterans for crimes that may have been committed as a direct result of their mental conditions (e.g., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)). Little research has been undertaken to ascertain whether VTCs are accomplishing their intended goals. To that end, the present case study examined three operating VTCs in order to determine if they are meeting their objectives. The research provides further information about VTC operations and recidivism rates. The research further reveals that, while the three VTCs examined are arguably benefitting veterans, they are not reaching a greater part of the population due largely to the gatekeeping role of VTC prosecutors, and the rigid eligibility requirements established by the three VTCs for veteran participation. Consequently, it's possible that the low recidivism rates reported by the three VTCs examined are inflated or constitute false positives.
退伍军人治疗法庭（VTCs）的设立目的是：（1）解决美国退伍军人特有的问题；以及（2）在可能的情况下，避免因退伍军人可能因其精神状况（如创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和/或创伤性脑损伤（TBI））直接导致的犯罪而对其进行惩罚。几乎没有开展研究来确定退伍军人治疗法庭是否正在实现其预期目标。为此，本案例研究考察了三个正在运作的退伍军人治疗法庭，以确定它们是否实现了目标。该研究提供了有关退伍军人治疗法庭运作和累犯率的更多信息。该研究进一步揭示，虽然所考察的三个退伍军人治疗法庭可以说使退伍军人受益，但它们并未惠及更多人群，这在很大程度上是由于退伍军人治疗法庭检察官的把关作用，以及这三个退伍军人治疗法庭为退伍军人参与所设定的严格资格要求。因此，所考察的三个退伍军人治疗法庭报告的低累犯率有可能被夸大或构成误报。
