Analyzing sanctioning policies and implementation fidelity: Results from Phase 1 of NIJ’s multi-site evaluation of VTCs

• In Event: Sanctioning in Veterans Treatment Courts: Policies, Implementation Fidelity, Impact, and Experience

Abstract

National surveys have revealed that the majority of VTCs across the country report that a system of sanctions is utilized by their programs. However, the nature of these sanction ladders and their implementation is unknown. This study analyzes policy and process data collected in Phase 1 of NIJ’s multi-site evaluation of VTCs, specifically the sanction policies themselves and sanction-related implementation data collected through structured observations and team surveys. The analysis is conducted to identify what types of sanctions program policy prescribes, sanctioning protocol, and the fidelity of sanction implementation. Grounded in these results, recommendations for VTC policy, practice, and research are discussed.

Authors

• Julie Marie Baldwin, American University

• Richard Hartley, University of Texas San Antonio