This NIJ Journal article details NIJ’s multisite evaluations of veterans treatment courts as the latest example of rigorous applied research under its Courts Research Portfolio.
This article profiles key studies in NIJ’s Courts Research Portfolio on pretrial, prosecution, and sentencing policies that address alternatives to incarceration, including veterans treatment courts and other problem-solving courts. Collectively, these research projects demonstrate a history of successful collaborations with federal agencies, court professionals, and expert research teams. This article also highlights findings from NIJ’s Multisite Evaluation of VTCs and discusses recommendations for practice and future research. Together, all of these underscore the need to promote data and research capacity to inform practice and policy, which inspired NIJ’s Courts Strategic Research Plan, 2020-2024. The plan documents NIJ’s commitment to furthering the Department of Justice’s mission through court research, evaluation, and policy analysis.