Local jurisdictions (i.e., counties and municipalities) administer criminal courts and permit pretrial detention of defendants accused of serious offenses and deemed to be dangerous to prevent them from committing crimes prior to trial, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Many local jurisdictions have begun adopting alternatives to incarceration, which are intended to improve public health and safety while reducing costs. Such alternatives generally represent a shift in emphasis away from prosecuting those associated with lower-level crimes toward providing treatment for underlying mental health or substance abuse disorders and include programs for individuals in jail or court who screen positive for mental illness. Veterans treatment courts are one such alternative. These courts are typically local courts dedicated to handling criminal cases involving veterans with mental health or substance abuse problems. According to VA, veterans treatment courts share several general characteristics but vary in their specific policies and procedures because of, among other things, differences in local jurisdictions and criminal justice system practices. Veterans treatment courts are modeled after adult drug courts, which are specialized courts that target criminal offenders who have drug addiction and dependency problems. As in the case of adult drug courts, judges preside over veterans treatment court proceedings and monitor veterans’ progress with treatment in collaboration with a team that usually includes a court coordinator, prosecutor, public defender, and probation officer. Additionally, the team includes a VJO specialist. Veterans treatment courts vary in terms of criteria for taking a case, such as the types or levels of criminal offenses. As was the case with past generations of veterans, the transition from military life to civilian life can be challenging for Post-9/11 veterans. Most veterans are not involved with local criminal justice systems, but some veterans—particularly if their mental health, family readjustment, or other needs remain unmet—may become justice-involved. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported that about 7 percent (about 50,000) of the total population of inmates in jail between February 2011 and May 2012 were veterans. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report, this estimate represents a 25 percent decrease from the number of veterans in jail in 2004. Moreover, veterans were incarcerated in jails at lower rates than nonveterans between February 2011 and May 2012, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. While many veterans who served in the military have successfully readjusted to civilian life with minimal difficulties, researchers and policymakers have identified concerns about how the experience of Post- 9/11 servicemembers may affect the incarceration rates among these veterans. According to VA, military experience (particularly combat) has been an underlying factor in behavior that prompts a response from law enforcement, such as domestic conflicts. During the last 14 years of U.S. military operations, many servicemembers have experienced numerous deployments, which can increase the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury. According to VA, a strong relationship exists between PTSD and substance abuse. Research has demonstrated that justice-involved veterans have high rates of mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, and other health issues. At the same time, some veterans may be unwilling or unable to access the supports and services they need. For example, we have previously reported that some veterans do not seek mental health treatment due to concerns about negative career outcomes, lack of understanding or awareness of treatment, and logistical challenges to accessing care. Left unaddressed, a combination of homelessness, unemployment, mental-health, or substance abuse issues can place veterans experiencing a difficult transition at higher risk of committing a crime. VA initiated the VJO Program in 2009. The mission of the program is to reduce and prevent criminal justice recidivism and homelessness among veterans by linking justice-involved veterans with appropriate supports and services. According to VA, incarceration is a strong predictor of veteran homelessness, and recidivism can limit VA’s ability to provide continuous care for mental health and other issues. The VJO Program’s fiscal year 2012-2016 strategic plan contains five broad strategic goals for the program as well as a number of related objectives (see table 1). Evaluative information helps the executive branch and congressional committees make decisions about the programs they oversee; that is, evaluative information tells them whether and why a program is working well or not. We have previously reported that an important system to obtain such information is through program performance assessment. (See fig. 1.) A program performance assessment system is an important component of effective program management and contains three key elements: 1. Program goals communicate what the agency proposes to accomplish and allow agencies to assess or demonstrate the degree to which those desired results were achieved. Strategic goals and related objectives are long-term goals that set a general direction for a program’s efforts. Performance goals are the specific results an agency expects its program to achieve in the near term. 2. Performance measures are concrete, objective, observable conditions that permit the assessment of progress made toward the agency’s goals. Performance measures show the progress the agency is making in achieving performance goals. 3. Program evaluations are individual systematic studies using performance measures and other information to answer specific questions about how well a program is meeting its objectives. The VJO Program operates through VA medical centers. VA’s central office provides each VA medical center the flexibility to determine how to best respond to the needs of justice-involved veterans within the local community. More specifically, VA established broad program parameters that allow VA medical center officials to set VJO specialists’ activities to meet the needs of veterans in local criminal justice systems. VA issued guidelines on the operations of the VJO Program through a series of memorandums to program officials. According to VA, the program is to serve veterans as they interact with the local criminal justice system at multiple points and settings—from initial contact with local law enforcement to release from jail. VA guidelines define a “justice-involved veteran” as a veteran who is (1) arrested by local law enforcement who can be appropriately diverted from arrest into treatment; (2) incarcerated in a local jail, and who either has a pending trial or is serving a sentence after a conviction; or (3) involved in adjudication or monitoring by a court. (See fig. 2.) The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which operates VA’s health care system, administers the VJO Program. VA policy requires each of the 167 VA medical centers around the country to provide outreach to justice-involved veterans. VA prioritizes veterans charged with nonviolent crimes, but VA must consider a veteran’s current legal circumstances— and not legal history alone—to determine whether the program can meet the individual veteran’s needs while maintaining safety, according to VA policy. The program does not provide legal representation, nor does it accept legal custody of a veteran. Specifically, VHA staff in Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN) help oversee the VJO Program and provide technical assistance to VJO specialists. Further, VA’s central office, its VISNs, and VA medical centers manage different aspects of program operations. VA central office officials directed each medical center to have at least one full-time VJO specialist position, most of which are funded by central office funds, according to VA. Some VA medical centers employ one VJO specialist position while others have multiple positions. VA central office officials also train new VJO specialists and manage national data collection efforts. VJO specialists report directly to VA medical center officials, typically in the homelessness prevention or mental health services. According to VA central office officials, as of September 2015, VA employed 261 full-time VJO specialists, who are mostly social workers, and seven other VJO specialists who play a hybrid role between the VJO and the Health Care for Re-entry Veterans programs. To accomplish the program mission of serving justice-involved veterans, VA tasks VJO specialists to perform three core functions: identify, assess, and link justice-involved veterans to appropriate supports and services. Experience of Veterans Who Have Participated in the VJO Program All of the veterans participating in our group discussions were appreciative of the VJO Program. At one location, veterans said that the VJO specialists understood their needs, educated them about available VA supports and services, assisted them in determining their eligibility, and helped them obtain VA supports and services. An example from a VJO Specialist To illustrate the effect of the program on one veteran’s life, VJO specialists we interviewed in one of our selected areas provided the following anecdote. A homeless veteran—who had served in Operation Enduring Freedom— was arrested for trespassing for sleeping behind a VA building. The veteran had substance abuse issues. When he appeared before a veterans treatment court, he met a VJO specialist who assessed his needs and assisted him in enrolling in VA housing and substance abuse treatment. When the veteran was stable, the VJO specialist was able to link him to permanent housing and VA vocational training. After several years of treatment and assistance, the veteran was hired by VA and purchased a home with a VA loan. helps jail administrators identify incarcerated veterans by comparing the names of inmates with VA’s list of veterans. After they identify justice-involved veterans, VJO specialists determine the veterans’ treatment needs by assessing their mental health, social well-being, appearance, and attitude. VJO specialists also collect information on employment history, current housing situation, military service, and discharge status. According to VA staff, upon completing the assessment, VJO specialists develop a treatment plan to meet the veteran’s needs. A treatment plan typically includes recommendations for medical or mental health services, housing, or other services, according to VJO specialists in five of the nine selected areas. After they identify and assess justice-involved veterans, VJO specialists link veterans to VA or community supports and services. VJO specialists do not directly provide treatment to justice-involved veterans. VA staff said once VJO specialists refer and link veterans to the appropriate supports and services, they perform follow-up visits with veterans to ensure they are receiving them.