Innovative Programming for Veterans in the Criminal Justice System

Innovative Programming

for Veterans in the

Criminal Justice System

Agenda

• Introductions

• Veterans Affairs Justice Programs

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• San Diego County, California

• Questions and Answers

Bureau of Justice Assistance

Mission: The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice

Programs and helps to make American communities safer by strengthening the

nation’s criminal justice system.

Its grants, training and technical assistance, and policy development services provide

state, local, and tribal governments with the cutting edge tools and best practices they

need to reduce violent and drug-related crime, support law enforcement, and combat

victimization.

The Council of State Governments

Founded in 1933, The Council of State Governments is our nation’s only

organization serving all three branches of state government. CSG is a

region-based forum that fosters the exchange of insights and ideas to help

state officials shape public policy. This offers unparalleled regional,

national and international opportunities to network, develop leaders,

collaborate and create problem-solving partnerships.

The Council of State Governments Justice Center

Mission

We develop research-driven strategies to

increase public safety and strengthen

communities.

We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that combines the power of a membership

association, representing state officials in all three branches of government, with the

expertise of a policy and research team focused on assisting others to attain measurable

results.

Who We Are

• We bring people together

• We drive the criminal justice field forward with original research

• We build momentum for policy change

• We provide expert assistance

How We Work

Our Projects

The CSG Justice Center

has more than 130 staff

across the country,

including our offices in

New York City,

Washington DC, Austin,

and Seattle.

Where We Work

Speakers

• Jessica Blue-Howells, Deputy Director, Veterans Justice Programs, U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs

• Christine Brown-Taylor, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department

Reentry Services Manager, California

• Sean Clark, National Director, Veterans Justice Programs, U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs

• Maria Fryer, Justice System and Corrections Policy Advisor for

Substance Abuse and Mental Health, Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S.

Department of Justice

Speakers (cont.)

• Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department,

Massachusetts

• Katherine Nicholas Malvey, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist,

Bedford, Massachusetts

• Angela Simoneau, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, Veterans

Affairs San Diego Healthcare System

• Mark Stovell, Senior Policy Analyst, The Council of State Governments

Justice Center

Agenda

• Introductions

• Veterans Affairs Justice Programs

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• San Diego County, California

• Questions and Answers

• United States Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.va.gov/

▪ Veterans Health Administration (VHA): https://www.va.gov/health/

o 170 hospitals, 830 outpatient clinics, 370 vet Centers

▪ Veterans Benefits Administration: https://benefits.va.gov/

o 57 regional offices

o Life insurance, home loan, disability compensation, pension, education, vocational

rehabilitation

▪ National Cemetery Administration: https://www.cem.va.gov/

o 131 National Cemeteries

o Burial, headstone, marker, medallion, burial flag, presidential memorial certificate,

burial allowances

What is Federal VA?

Mission: To identify justice-involved Veterans and contact them through

outreach, in order to facilitate access to VA services at the earliest possible

point. Veterans Justice Programs accomplish this by building and

maintaining partnerships between VA and key elements of the criminal

justice system.

Vision: Every justice-involved Veteran will have access to the care, services

and other benefits to help him or her maximize their potential for success

and stability in the community, including by avoiding homelessness and

ending their involvement in the justice system.

VHA Justice Programs: Mission

• VHA Justice Outreach

▪ Gain access to the jail

▪ Identify veterans and determine eligibility

▪ Conduct outreach, assessment, and case management for veterans in local courts and

jails

▪ Provide/coordinate training for law enforcement personnel

▪ Linkage to VA and community services/Resources

• Number of VJO Specialists funded: 364

• Number of 3,365 local jail facilities serviced: 1,700

• Number of Veterans receiving VJO services FY 2018: 48,670

VHA Justice Outreach Services

Healthcare for Reentry Veterans

▪ Gain access to the prison

▪ Educate veterans’ groups about VA and VA services

▪ Identify veterans and determine eligibility

▪ Reentry planning

▪ Linkage to VA and community services

• Number of HCRV Specialists funded: 44

• Number of 1,295 state and federal prisons serviced: 947

• Number of incarcerated Veterans receiving reentry services, FY 2018: 9,766

VHA Justice Outreach Services

National staff:

▪ Sean Clark, National Director VJP, sean.clark2@va.gov

▪ Jessica Blue-Howells, National Coordinator, HCRV, jessica.blue-how[email protected]

Local staff:

▪ VJO: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/VJO.asp

▪ HCRV: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/reentry.asp

Contact

Agenda

• Introductions

• Veterans Affairs Justice Programs

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• San Diego County, California

• Questions and Answers

Middlesex Sheriff’s Office

Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV)

“It’s kind of a relief, because at 70 years of age, becoming incarcerated, I didn’t know

what to expect…It’s barracks style as opposed to being in a cell, and you got a certain

amount of camaraderie because everyone in here has served in the military. So it just

seems as though you form a little closer relationship than you would just being with

one person like 20 hours out of the day or whatever the case might be.

Here it just seems like no matter what’s going on, whatever may be ailing you or

whatever, there is always someone willing to give you a hand. And we notice whereas

there are no walls here. We notice if someone is different than yesterday, and we

approach them and ask, ‘Is there something wrong; is there anything we can do, or I

can do?’”

Bill A. – Vietnam Veteran

• The Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV) was created to instill a sense of

community amongst former military servicemen through shared experience and

common goals.

• Programs are delivered by individuals specially trained to meet the needs of the

veteran population.

• The guiding principles of HUMV are a direct reflection of those military values that

these veterans learned during their time in the service: Respect, Honor, Duty and

Integrity.

• Many of the men accepted to this treatment program come to HUMV feeling

broken and disheartened with fractured support systems.

Welcome to HUMV

HUMV By The Numbers

• 158 men spent at least 30 days in

HUMV since its opening

• Individuals released from HUMV have

lower recidivism rate than general

population inmates

• 82.74% of HUMV participants have

not recidivated since the program

launched in 2016

July 2013 MSO, VA New England Health Care &

Mass. DVS sign agreement to better ID veterans

in custody to provide targeted outreach. MSO

becomes one of the first agencies in the country

to sign onto to the Veterans Reentry Search

Service

(VRSS).

January 2016 The Housing Unit for

Military Veterans (HUMV) opens with

12 men. The unit—named by inmates—

is a result of a collaboration between inmates,

administrators and staff.

March 2016 Governor Charlie Baker visits the

Middlesex Jail & House of Correction for a formal

ceremony marking the opening of HUMV.

May 2018 HUMV is one of four jail units

nationwide cited in the National Institute of

Corrections’ (NIC) Barracks Behind Bars.

Document is released during convening of the

NIC’s Justice-Involved Veterans Network (JIVN) at

the Library of Congress.

HUMV Key Dates

Participation in HUMV

• Voluntary program

• VRSS/Self identify as a veteran

• Transfer from another jurisdiction

• Interview with staff

• Desire to adopt unit mission

Partners

• U.S. Department of Veterans

Affairs

• MA Department of Veterans

Services

• MA Veterans Treatment Court

• Vet Centers

• Home Base (MGH & Boston Red

Sox)

Programs

• Seeking Safety

• Resilient Warrior

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

• BATTLEMINDS

• Spirituality and Mental Health

• Phoenix

HUMV Partners and Programs

• Healthcare for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) - clinician providing reentry

services for all VA eligible veterans

▪ Facilitates WRAP group to prepare them for transition upon release

▪ Establishes a connection with veterans prior to release to help ease transition

and provide support following release

▪ VRSS allows for accurate identification of all sentenced VA eligible veterans to

establish release plans for all identified needs

▪ Assists with parole

▪ Offers post release support group

Veterans Justice Programs & MSO

• Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO)

▪ VRSS (and VIS) – ran twice/month to allow for accurate identification of

all pretrial VA eligible veterans to facilitate connection to VA services

▪ VJO completes assessments and establishes treatment plans to provide

to court to inform disposition/alternative to sentencing

▪ Engagement in HUMV programming = benefit at time of disposition

▪ Helps facilitate transfer of detained veterans to MSO/HUMV

▪ Enhances access to Veterans Treatment Court

Veterans Justice Programs & MSO

• HUMV/VTC/VA

▪ Established agreement to take directly from all MA VTCs on a

detention retainer if appropriate

▪ Allows for the veteran to maximize their detention with access to

related treatment and immediate support

▪ Provides veteran with more positive influences with peers who can

relate

▪ VTCs receive more specific feedback about veteran progress and

engagement

▪ Can send sentenced veterans to HUMV, regardless of county

Veteran Treatment Courts

• Brave Act: Massachusetts statute allowing for veterans to be diverted, depending on charge

▪ First time offenders with no previous convictions and no history of diversion

▪ OUI first offense requires:

o substance abuse, mental health, or traumatic brain injury diagnosis

In addition to :

o Nexus

▪ Probation to use best efforts to identify/confirm defendant’s military service

▪ Data collection to inform legislature and MA Trial Court about veteran profile/needs

▪ Data collection informs VA about justice involved veteran profile and treatment needs (i.e.,

domestics/intimate partner violence, OUI)

MA Brave Act

• Veterans Reentry Search Service (VRSS): database designed to identify every

veteran in correctional institutions, defendants with open cases, and on community

supervision

▪ Used in every correctional facility in MA

▪ Improves efficiency of VJP personnel

▪ Improves effectiveness of VJP personnel to more adequately meet the needs of

all justice involved veterans in a timely manner

▪ Can be used at various intercept points along the continuum

▪ Informs the development of veteran-specific programming in CJ system

▪ Collaboration with MSO/HUMV to recommend the transfer of a

incarcerated/detained veteran to HUMV if appropriate

Veterans Justice Programs

• Informs outreach

▪ Highlights people/agencies to

partner with

▪ Highlights people/agencies to

provide education to

▪ Facilitates creative dispositions

• Enhances outreach

▪ How to work with justice involved

veterans

▪ Build support in community to best

meet all needs

▪ Use of telehealth technology

• Outreach

▪ CIT with police

▪ Education provided at bench bars,

judiciary, webinars for attorneys with

CLE opportunity

▪ Biannual probation trainings

VRSS and Outreach

• VRSS: Determine if enough veterans exist (within the geographic area and the

facility itself) to support a program

• Partner with veterans affairs agencies from all levels of government

• Conduct an inventory of potential community partners, and seek buy-in from key

stakeholders

▪ Staff

▪ Inmates

▪ Veteran organizations

▪ Specialty courts

Considerations for Starting a Veterans Unit

Agenda

• Introductions

• Veterans Affairs Justice Programs

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• San Diego County, California

• Questions and Answers

San Diego County

• Large jail system

• Geographic area

• Military bases

• Community support for

veterans

• Government support

Veterans Moving Forward

• Veterans in custody

• Purpose

• Creation

• Partners

• Opened November 2013

• Evaluation

San Diego County: By the Numbers

• 300 veterans in custody

• 64 veterans in Veterans Moving

Forward

• All branches and types of

discharge

• Daily classes and activities

• Positive learning environment

• Dedicated deputies and

professional staff

Community Partners

• District Attorney's Office

• Public Defenders Office

• Superior Court

• Probation Department

• Health and Human Services

• Veterans Administration

• Veterans Village of San

Diego

• Interfaith Community

Services

• American Combat Veterans

of War

Demographics

29%

51%

14%

Black

Other

White

Hispanic

Average age: 45

Age range: 19-73

Male 95%

Female 5%

National Institute of Corrections

• Justice Involved Veterans Network is a cross divisional effort

at NIC in partnership with the VA working to improve

outcomes for justice involved veterans

▪ Law Enforcement Training

▪ Barracks Behind Bars

▪ Veterans Treatment Courts

• https://info.nicic.gov/jiv/

SANDAG evaluation study

• Outcome results

▪ 89% said VMF prepared them

for reentry

▪ 43% comparison group vs 1%

for rule violation

▪ Conviction for new offense

16% compared to 27 %

• Recommendations

▪ Increase the support for

transition into the

community

▪ Cross training of volunteers

to understand military

culture

▪ Strengthen partnership with

• Veterans Moving Forward: Process and Impact Evaluation

Results of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department VMF

Program:

https://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid

_4548_24833.pdf

• Video from San Diego County - Sheriff's Veterans Moving

Forward – 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5hSi-

EA9s

Links

• Orient veterans to VA benefits and services, as well as community

resources

• Aid veterans in identifying individual eligibility and applying for

benefits and services

• Assist with reentry planning and preparation for VJO Aftercare

Veterans Moving Forward: VJO In-Reach

Within 60-days of release:

• Linkages are made for housing and treatment programs in

collaboration with VMF counseling staff.

• Appointments are scheduled for mental health, substance abuse,

medical care, and other collateral needs.

• VJO Aftercare needs are identified.

Reentry Planning

• Transportation: Provided from jail to placement by VJO Specialist when

possible

• Case management: Ongoing reentry support is offered to Veterans

leaving the VMF program.

• Group: A monthly drop-in group is held at the VJO office for graduates

of the VMF program.

VJO Aftercare

Agenda

• Introductions

• Veterans Affairs Justice Programs

• Middlesex County, Massachusetts

• San Diego County, California

• Questions and Answers

Questions & Answers

• Addressing the Needs of Veterans in the Criminal Justice System:

▪ https://csgjusticecenter.org/mental-health/webinars/addressing-the-

needs-of-veterans-in-the-criminal-justice-system/.

• Health Care for Reentry Veterans Services and Resources:

▪ https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/reentry.asp.

• Veterans Justice Outreach Program:

▪ https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/VJO.asp.

Resources

• Jessica Blue-Howells, National Coordinator, Health Care for Reentry Veterans, U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs Jessica.Blue-How[email protected]

• Christine Brown-Taylor, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Reentry Services

Manager, California Christine.BrownJ@sdsheriff.org

• Sean Clark, National Director, Veterans Justice Programs, U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs Sean.[email protected]

• Maria Fryer, Justice System and Corrections Policy Advisor for Substance Abuse and

Mental Health, Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice

[email protected]

Contact Information

• Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, Massachusetts

peter.j.koutoujian@state.ma.us

• Katherine Nicholas Malvey, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, Bedford,

Massachusetts Katherine.NicholasMalvey@va.gov

• Angela Simoneau, Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist, Veterans Affairs San Diego

Healthcare System Angela.Simoneau@va.gov

• Mark Stovell, Senior Policy Analyst, The Council of State Governments Justice

Center mstov[email protected]g

Contact Information (cont.)

Thank You!

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The presentation was developed by members of The Council of State Governments Justice Center staff. The statements made reflect the views of the authors, and should not be

considered the official position of The Council of State Governments Justice Center, the members of The Council of State Governments, or the funding agency supporting the

work.

For more information please contact Mark Stovell, mstov[email protected]g