ABSTRACT

Veterans treatment courts provide alternative resolution of a wide variety of crimes, including crimes of victimization, for eligible veterans. These courts have been evaluated on multiple fronts, from eligibility to outcomes, yet almost no scholarly attention has been given to whether these courts incorporate victims’ rights into operations. This study of veterans treatment courts in one state employs content analysis, surveys, and interviews to examine these courts through a victims’ rights lens. The authors conclude that the courts omit victims’ rights from most of their procedures but seem amenable to adopting policy changes to improve responsiveness to victims’ needs.

摘要

退伍军人治疗法庭为符合条件的退伍军人提供了多种犯罪的替代解决方案，包括受害罪。这些法院在从资格到结果的多个方面进行了评估，但几乎没有学者关注这些法院是否将受害者的权利纳入运作。这项对一个州的退伍军人待遇法院的研究采用内容分析、调查和访谈，通过受害者权利的视角来审查这些法院。作者得出的结论是，法院在其大部分程序中都忽略了受害者的权利，但似乎可以通过改变政策来提高对受害者需求的响应能力。