Veterans Treatment Courts

As Americans, we must keep in mind the enduring debt we owe our country’s military veterans.  While

news accounts remind us daily of the dangers our military men and women confront in combat, the

serious challenges facing our veterans when they return home, particularly substance abuse and

psychological health problems, often go untreated. Sadly, these challenges can sometimes lead to

criminal or other destructive behaviors.  The Justice Department’s most recent survey of prison

inmates found that an estimated 60% of the

140,000 veterans in Federal and State prisons

were struggling with a substance use disorder,

while approximately 25% reported being under

the influence of drugs at the time of their

offense.1

  Many of these issues can be connected

to the trauma of combat and other service‐

related experiences and, for this reason, require

appropriate measures to address them.  Veterans

Treatment Courts are designed to do just that, by

meeting the particular needs of veterans involved

in the criminal justice system.

JUDGE ROBERT RUSSELL’S GROUNDBREAKING

COURT FOR BUFFALO’S VETERANS

___________________________ 

In 2008, Judge Robert 

Russell, presiding judge of 

the Buffalo Drug and Mental 

Health Courts, created the 

Nation’s first Veterans 

Treatment Court in response 

to the growing number of 

veterans appearing on his 

dockets who were addicted to drugs or alcohol and 

suffering from mental illness. 

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not unique to Buffalo.  

Immediately following the launch of the Buffalo Veterans 

Treatment Court, Judge Russell and his team fielded 

requests from courts around the country experiencing the 

same increases in cases involving veterans.  Within just 

two years, over 20 Veterans Treatment Courts have 

launched, and dozens more are planned. 

Judge Russell and the staff of the Buffalo court have 

partnered with the Bureau of Justice Assistance to provide 

training and assistance to judges and court staff around 

the country seeking to establish their own Veterans 

Veterans Treatment Courts seek to treat veterans

suffering from a substance abuse and/or mental

health disorder, while helping ensure public

safety.  These special courts combine rigorous

treatment and personal accountability, with the

goal of breaking the cycle of drug use and

criminal behavior.2

Veterans Treatment Courts are modeled after

drug courts, which promote collaboration among

the judiciary, community corrections agencies,

drug treatment providers, and other community

support groups.  Drug courts have a remarkable track record over the course of their 20‐year history.

During times of difficult economic conditions for State and local governments, drug courts still prove to

                                                           

1 Office of Justice Programs/Bureau of Justice Statistics.  Veterans in State and Federal Prison, 2004.  U.S.

Department of Justice.  [May 2007].  Available:  http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/vsfp04.pdf   2 National Association of Drug Court Professionals.  “Veterans Treatment Courts.”  [2010].  Available:  

http://www.nadcp.org/sites/default/files/nadcp/VTC%20Brief.pdf  

Treatment Courts.
2 

ONDCP seeks to foster healthy individuals and safe communities by effectively 

leading the Nation’s effort to reduce drug use and its consequences. 

December 2010

be a smart, cost‐effective investment that helps put offenders on the road to recovery, effectively

reducing recidivism.

Veterans Courts promote sobriety, recovery, and stability through a coordinated response involving the

traditional partners found in drug courts and mental health courts, as well as the Department of

Veterans Affairs healthcare networks, the Veterans Benefits Administration, State Departments of

Veterans Affairs, volunteer veteran mentors, and veterans family support organizations.3

Veterans Treatment Court Planning Initiative (VTCPI) –

Building on Success

In an effort to replicate the success of the first Veterans Courts, an initiative has been launched to help

more communities establish Veterans Courts.  The 2010 Veterans Treatment Court Planning Initiative

(VTCPI) constitutes the first Veterans Treatment Court training program in the Nation.  The VTCPI

curriculum is a collaborative effort of the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), the Department of Veterans

Affairs, the National Drug Court Institute (NDCI), and numerous Veterans Treatment Court professionals.

Ten jurisdictions have been awarded VTCPI grants.  The communities selected are in Orlando, Florida;

Cincinnati, Ohio; Augusta, Georgia; San Antonio, Texas; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Kew Gardens, New York;

Klamath Falls, Oregon; Elmira, New York; Batavia, New York; and San Diego, California.  The grant

awards were based on a variety of factors, including the size of, and problems among, the applicants’

respective veteran populations.

Legislative Efforts

State legislatures:  A number of states have taken steps to promote Veterans Treatment Courts or

veterans assistance within the state court system:4

 Nevada and Texas have passed legislation calling for the statewide establishment of Veterans

Treatment Courts.  Similar legislation has been introduced in Colorado, Illinois, and at least nine

other states.

California, Minnesota, and New Hampshire have passed legislation that permits judges to order

treatment, instead of prison, for veterans suffering from combat‐related mental health disorders.



                                                           

3 Ibid.   4 Ibid.