Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing releases “A Comprehensive Study of Veterans Involved in the Criminal Justice System”
A helpful colleague made sure I saw this big new report produced by the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. The study, which was conducted in response to a Pennsylvania Senate Resolution, seeks to provides a comprehensive study of veterans in the criminal justice system, including patterns of justice system involvement, current healthcare processes and programs, and remaining healthcare gaps. The report’s executive summary is available here, and here is how that starts:
Senate Resolution 196 (2024) directed the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing “to conduct a thorough and comprehensive study on the effects that post-traumatic stress disorder or injury, military sexual trauma and traumatic brain injury have on service members, veterans and their families who are directly or indirectly involved or implicated in any portion or component of the criminal justice system.” This report addresses the prevalence of criminal justice involvement among veterans in Pennsylvania, existing practices in identification, screening, assessment, and treatment of veterans in courts, jails, and prisons, and the use of veterans treatment courts (VTCs) throughout Pennsylvania. It is intended to provide the Senate with actionable information to “continuously improve data collection, identify, share, and rectify programming gaps and barriers to services across and between all levels of government and involve community stakeholders regarding issues affecting veterans involved in the criminal justice system” (Pa. SR 196 of 2024).
The report is guided by three conceptual frameworks: the Veterans Sequential Intercept Model (VSIM), the Veterans Cascade of Care, and the Whole Health Initiative. The VSIM describes how veterans encounter the criminal justice system and helps identify strategic points to redirect them from the system or to identify points of treatment and service provision within the system (Singh et al. 2024). The Veterans Cascade of Care models the optimum continuum of care for veterans in the criminal justice system, including identification of veteran status, screening, and assessment for behavioral health issues, and if needed, treatment initiation, engagement, and continuing care. The VSIM and Veterans Cascade of Care are interrelated. Identifying veterans and screening and assessing them for behavioral health needs is crucial for determining whether, and if so, when and where to redirect or link individuals to specific points along the VSIM. The Whole Health Initiative, developed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, seeks to promote resilience and health and prevent disease through a holistic approach to health that is team-based, anchored in trusted long-term relationships, and that integrates conventional (e.g., mental health preventative care) and complementary (e.g., wellness coaching) healthcare (National Academies of Sciences 2023).
The nine directives that comprise this report span different phases of the criminal justice system, each offering a distinct opportunity to identify veterans, screen and assess them for behavioral health conditions, and provide appropriate services, programming, and treatment. While veterans make up a relatively small portion of criminal defendants, there is a mosaic of existing local, county, state, and federal resources to support their needs. These resources—including those offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Pennsylvania’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), state and county correctional institutions, and county VTCs—can be leveraged to address veterans’ behavioral health needs and help prevent re-offending. Identifying veterans early, screening and assessing them for behavioral health needs, and connecting them to treatment and veteran-specific criminal justice programs and interventions will help facilitate a Veterans Cascade of Care and do so in ways that are more efficient and effective. The summary below describes the main findings of each directive, along with the Commission’s recommendations.