F R O M
T H E
S T A T E
A T T O R N E Y
An d re w H. Wa r re n - St at e At t o r n ey fo r t h e T h i r t e e n t h Ju d i c i a l Ci rc u i t
administering Justice
in veterans treatment court
O
hillsborough’s veterans treatment court has become a national
model for handling the distinct issues facing veterans in our
criminal justice system.
ne of the many ways we employ a strategic problem-
solving approach to criminal justice is through the
Thirteenth Circuit’s Veterans Treatment Court
(VTC). Hillsborough County is home to nearly
100,000 military veterans. Responding to the unique
needs of the brave men and women who served this country allows
us to create a safer community by directly addressing issues affecting
veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system.
The VTC is a problem-solving court that holds veterans
accountable for crimes in a non-adversarial context, while addressing
underlying issues like post-traumatic stress disorder and substance
abuse, as well as associated problems of unemployment, homelessness,
and transportation. The VTC incorporates therapeutic principles and
key components of problem-solving courts, primarily treatment and
rehabilitation. Veterans undergo a risk-need responsivity assessment,
and their progress is tracked as a phase-based system of treatment in
accordance with evidence-based best practices. This treatment court
model requires routine court appearances, mandatory attendance at
continued on page 13
12
Problem-Solving Courts Chief Jeria Wilds,
State Attorney’s Office
NOV - DEC 2019
|
HCBA LAWYER