| Justice-involved veterans are a sizeable forensic population as more returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan face reintegration challenges due to untreated, trauma-related mental health and substance abuse problems as well as barriers to care. Many combat veterans from current and prior conflicts have been incarcerated and re-offend after their release because their underlying combat-related problems are not adequately addressed in jails and prisons. Veteran treatment courts (VTCs), emerged to divert veterans from incarceration by offering therapeutic sentences, and many have produced low recidivism rates. Drug court research identified factors that can lead to recidivism such as opioid use and unsuccessful termination from the program. Termination from the VTC program often results in veterans returning to criminal court and serving their sentences, yet no research to date has identified predictors of termination or completion. The purpose of the current study was to identify predictors of termination and graduation in a VTC program to bridge the gap in the research and assist forensic practitioners in recognizing those at risk of termination. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to identify whether employment, drug of choice, and number of sanctions predicted graduation or termination from a VTC program. Results revealed that high sanction counts were significantly associated with graduation from the program, whereas methamphetamine use was significantly associated with termination from the program. Results are explained using social learning theory, and implications and directions for future research are discussed. |
