An Examination of Two Federal Problem-Solving Courts in the Eastern District of Missouri

• In Event: Specialty Court Evaluation Studies

Abstract

As veterans continue to return home from deployments abroad, their successful reintegration remains ever-important. In the past twenty years, the drug court framework has become widespread within the justice system. Some innovative judges have developed specialized “Veterans’ Courts” which borrow several key components from other problem-solving courts. Few studies are yet to evaluate such a Veterans’ Court. In the present study, data from semi-structured interviews with court participants are analyzed to understand the chief processes and causal mechanisms at work in this Veterans’ Court. The findings from the process evaluation are compared to similar data from a more traditional problem-solving court – a drug court – operating in the same district. A comparison of participants’ experiences in each of the two courts is useful in understanding how each of the courts work to bring about behavioral change (e.g., experiences with drug treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy). In coming years, as veterans continue to return home at increasing rates, their effective return will largely hinge on the status of necessary supports and services. The processes underlying this new variant of the “problem-solving” court must be rigorously evaluated before it becomes the method “du jour” for dealing with justice-involved service men and women.

Authors

• Joseph Durso, University of Missouri - St. Louis

• Beth Huebner, University of Missouri - St. Louis