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Military Socialization: A Motivating Factor for Seeking Treatment in a Veterans’ Treatment Court

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Abstract

The veterans’ treatment court movement is just beyond the nascent period, and given the rapid proliferation of these courts in recent years it is imperative that the scientific community understand their operational procedures and assess whether they are meeting a unique need beyond those addressed by other problem-solving courts. This paper provides an in-depth examination of veteran culture and how it helps to distinguish veterans’ treatment courts from other courts that focus on similar populations (e.g., drug, DWI, and mental health courts). Using in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group data collected from veteran participants, veteran mentors, and court team members in Pennsylvania, we employ content analysis to explore the veteran culture as a motivator for participants to enroll in a veterans’ treatment court and engage with others throughout participation in treatment. The results of this exploratory study suggest that a shared culture serves to motivate justice-involved veterans to seek out the veterans’ treatment court over other treatment options and remain engaged in this problem-solving court, while inspiring a sense of obligation to do well in treatment for them and their fellow veterans. The shared experiences of military service and across-the-board support for fellow service members suggest that the veterans’ treatment court creates a unique environment for pursuing treatment.

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Notes

  1. The VTCs in Pennsylvania often accept justice-involved veterans from the surrounding jurisdictions on a case-by-case basis.

  2. Most VTC team members have served the program since its inception in 2008.

  3. All of the veteran clients during this particular interview were prior enlisted service members.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Affairs, Penn State Harrisburg, 777 W. Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA, 17057, USA

    Eileen M. Ahlin & Anne S. Douds

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  1. Eileen M. Ahlin
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  2. Anne S. Douds
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Correspondence to Eileen M. Ahlin.

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Ahlin, E.M., Douds, A.S. Military Socialization: A Motivating Factor for Seeking Treatment in a Veterans’ Treatment Court. Am J Crim Just 41, 83–96 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9332-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-015-9332-4

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