Veterans in the Criminal Justice System and PTSD Essay

The number of the veterans in the criminal justice system is increasing, and the high prevalence of crime necessitates the enhancement of specific working trial environments. The Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) are unique avenues aimed at rehabilitating the veterans who conflict with the law. Since more veterans are now facing the justice system, the VTC has become more common than ever before. The efficacy of the VTC in handling veteran in conflict with the law is enhanced through the provision of a unique environment to foster fast rehabilitative process.

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Substance abuse is increasing as veterans try to cope with their mental health issues and physical disabilities (Miller et al., 2013). Some veterans have committed various crimes, and a majority of these vices is blamed on substance abuse and PTSD. The number of veterans that continues to use different substances has increased. The increasing number of veterans with mental health disorders who engage in crime and substance abuse prompted the justice system to develop the veteran's treatment court in 2008. This specialized court was established to help veterans with severe mental health problems from being imprisoned, and instead, they offer them treatment for the issues with their mental health and drug abuse (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2010). The Buffalo program created the first veterans treatment court in New York (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, 2010). In the court, veterans are assigned mentors and other veteran volunteers who provide the necessary support for those enrolled in the program.

The justice system is more focused on treating and counseling rather than punishing because of the underlying problems such as PTSD and substance abuse. These underlying issues usually derail the lives of veterans, which push them to commit felonies and misdemeanors, and if jailed the problems are never addressed. Approximately, 25 percent of veterans developed substance use disorder between 2004 and 2016 (Teeters et al., 2017). Veteran treatment courts have been established to help veterans with severe mental health problems from being imprisoned, and instead, they offer them treatment for the problems with their mental health and drug abuse. The veterans treatment court (VTC) operates under a standard procedure. The environment provides unique services that are specific to the needs of the veterans. According to Canada and Albright (2014), veterans conflict with the criminal justice system due to their unmet psychological needs. Although there lacks proper empirical research to support the fact, the authors further posit that during an arrest, a significant number of veterans record more substance use and psychiatric problems. This study aims to evaluate factors that contribute to the increased number of veteran substance abuse and crime as well as understand whether the United States government has played a role in trying to deal with increased substance use among veterans.

Cognitive Behavioural Theory

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a type of intervention that assumes that mental disorders and other psychological distress are maintained by cognitive factors (Hofmann, Asnaani, Vonk, Sawyer, & Fang, 2012). In CBT, maladaptive cognitions such as general beliefs, the self, and the future result in the rise of automatic thoughts in particular situations. When the maladaptive cognitions are not appropriately regulated, they result in emotional distress and problematic behaviour. The cognitive behavioural theory aims to reduce the symptoms, improve body functioning, and remit the disorder. Since veterans participating under the VTC program have engaged in substance abuse and crime, cognitive behavioural therapy would be a better intervention toward understanding some of the factors that led the veterans to engage in crime and substance abuse as well as some of the strategies to help them overcome factors that derail their focus.

Mental Health, Substance Use, and Veterans Treatment Court

There were over 700,000 veterans in the criminal justice system as of the year 2015 (Ahlin & Douds, 2016). Post-traumatic disorders and drug dependency are some of the major concerns for the veterans. The veterans treatment court (VTC) operate under a standard procedure. The environment offers unique services that are specific to the needs of the veterans.

At the same time, it is evident that dependency on drugs and substances are significant concerns for most veterans (Ahlin & Douds, 2016). As a result, the veterans participate in numerous immoral and criminal acts. For instance, crimes such as substance abuse and driving while intoxicated (DWI) are the most common illegal behaviours among the veterans (Ahlin & Douds, 2016). According to Greenberg and Rosenheck (2009), the risk of incarceration among U.S. veterans has increased significantly. In 2004, an estimated 140,000 veterans were incarcerated in state and federal prisons. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has attempted to reduce the high number of substance use among veterans; however, the numbers continue to increase. According to Teeters, Lancaster, Brown, and Back (2017) one survey about military personnel found that thirty percent of suicides came before alcohol and drug use, and twenty percent of high-risk behaviour deaths were linked to alcohol and drug overdose. The most common substance use among male and female veterans is episodic alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking (Teeters et al., 2017). Demographics linked to higher rates of substance use disorders in the civilian population have mapped out a significant proportion of the military people who engage in increased substance use. Excessive alcohol drinking is the most common form of substance use disorder among military personnel. Research examining data as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that veterans compared with their non-veteran counterparts were more likely to engage in excessive alcohol consumption.

The veterans' treatment court has also focused on the psychological needs of the veterans. Such obligations include stress, post-traumatic disorder, and the effect of disconnect from the military culture (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2009). At this juncture, it is worth noting that the military service remains attractive to a high number of youths despite the challenges apparent in the military service. Aspect such as the privileges that are available at each rank offers a significant pull factor. During the AVF, the military had improved its recruitment process and increased salaries for the recruits. This attracted a considerable number of middle-income earners to join the military. The study by Greenberg and Rosenheck (2009) found that the recruiting standards assigned to the recruits either increased or reduced the odds of incarceration due to substance abuse. Recruits with high standards had reduced odds of imprisonment. For this case, one can conclude that military personnel with higher rankings had minimal instances of engaging in substance abuse that led to incarceration while those with lower rankings had higher chances of engaging in substance abuse. According to Schumm (2012), military rank significantly correlates with frequent heavy drinking. The rates are six times higher among enlisted personnel with the lowest rankings compared with officers. The author also found that the military service branch also caused heavy drinking among veterans. Those in the army, navy, and marines were more likely to report excess alcohol consumption than those in the air force.

The function of the veteran courts is to incorporate the veterans who have engaged in substance abuse and assist them to transform their behaviours using non-traditional channels different from the ones used by the regular courts. The veterans are offered resources from the courts such as medical treatment for PTSD from the local Veterans Hospital. The Suffolk county courts have a resource manager and a mental health division in order to help the veterans. The VTC understands that veterans go through many mental challenges that lead them to substance abuse, which result in the committing of heinous crimes. Hence, VTC focuses on offering appropriate treatment and services such as mental health counselling, substance treatment, and housing services in an attempt to address the correlates of crime and future criminal activities among the veterans (Baldwin, 2015).

Military Culture

Military culture is a unique experience that is different from civilian culture. Military culture has its own language of communication, set rules and regulations, the notion of self-sacrifice, self-expectations, and consists of hierarchies. The recruits have to be well trained and adjust to the new culture that is essential for their survival in the service. Military culture is extremely beyond that of the U.S. civilian. The military culture focuses on creating uniformity among members such that all the relevant parties share common beliefs, experiences, languages, and symbols (Redmond et al., 2015). The codes of conduct in the military are the same, and members are expected to abide by the laws. The environment in the military is extremely structured where individuals engage in nonstop training and other self-engagement activities. Obedience, discipline, self-sacrifice, trust, and courage are essential military values. The military system holistically working under strict commands means that the soldiers are ready to serve under strict rules (Johnson et al., 2016). For instance, the hierarchical dispensation of regulations says that the one is bound to obey commands from the seniors without fail. After soldiers return from combat, they are supposed to integrate back into the society. The process of reintegration comes with its own challenges. Some experience environmental disorientation, circadian dysrhythmia, and some developmental problems that require treatment. Personnel trying to reintegrate back to the society may suffer from depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicide risk. Male veterans have a higher chance of engaging and committing suicide more than their female counterparts engage (Redmond et al., 2015). The analysis of the lifestyle of the veterans shed significant light on the inclination to crime among the medical officers. One of the major aggravating aspects is social isolation. Most of the soldiers live with colleagues at the military camps. However, at the veteran level after retiring from service, the social circles shrink significantly. Mostly, the veterans are at home with only their wives or alone at times. The challenge at this stage is that most of the veterans feel the disconnection in a significant manner that most of them are diagnosed with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder especially if they were suffering from other emotional illnesses.

The crime-related factor at this stage relates to the post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) (Greenberg & Rosenheck, 2009). High prevalence of PTSD coincides with the instances of self-harm and other actions related to violent crimes. Therefore, the VTC acts through a channel where they can detect the symptoms of PTSD at an early stage. Therefore, VTC assesses the mental and PTDS levels of the veterans to determine their vulnerability to commit a crime. It is at this juncture that the jury and the attorney understand and appreciate the environment under which a crime occurred. Research by Johnson et al. (2015) established that the veterans at the VTC experienced particular forms attached to the military lifestyle. Therefore, various norms affected their cultural and behavioural inclination beyond the time that they served in the military. At the same time, evidence proved that significant negative impact of the behavioural norms among the veterans. For instance, in cases where a veteran abhors particu...