Perceptions of legal legitimacy in veterans treatment courts: A test of a modified version of procedural justice theory.

Abstract

Objective: Perceptions of the legitimacy of a society's legal system help explain individual responses to courts and legal actors. Normative considerations such as fair and respectful treatment as well as social identification have demonstrated the ability to enhance perceived legal legitimacy and future cooperation. Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) are a rapidly disseminating and understudied intervention. Their targeting of a socially esteemed group presents an interesting venue to explore normative theories of justice. The present study tested a modified version of Tyler's theory of procedural justice in this setting. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that procedural justice, social bonds, and receipt of gratitude for military service would be positively associated with veteran identity and legal legitimacy. We further hypothesized that participants' identification as veterans would mediate the relationships between the three independent variables and legitimacy. Method: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample (N = 191) of participants in two VTCs. Analyses controlled for race, ethnicity, recidivism risk, and combat exposure. Results: Perceptions of procedural justice, social bonds, and receipt of gratitude were positively associated with veteran identity and perceptions of legal legitimacy. Further, veteran identity was found to be a significant mediator between the first three constructs and legal legitimacy. Conclusions: The results support the importance of procedural justice in explaining perceptions of legal legitimacy in a novel context that is rapidly proliferating and understudied and has unique social identity considerations. The addition of gratitude and veteran identity to Tyler's model raises implications for VTC practice and further inquiry. Public Significance StatementThe study examined factors associated with perceptions of legal legitimacy in veterans treatment courts (VTCs). Legal legitimacy is important for its association with the prosocial attitudes and behaviors that VTCs strive to increase. The study supported the association between fair treatment, shared veteran status, and being thanked for service with perceived legitimacy. The study underscores how the socially valued veteran identity can further VTC practices and objectives.

Criminal legal involvement among recently separated veterans: Findings from the LIMBIC study.

“…In addition to policy and programs addressing transitioning service members, the findings in this study also have relevance to courts and programs addressing veterans currently involved in the criminal legal system. More than 500 Veterans Treatment Courts across 43 states have been integrated with criminal legal systems to link veterans to mental health services (Gallagher & Ashford, 2021; Hartley & Baldwin, 2019). Additionally, as described above, VA Veterans Justice Programs include Veterans Justice Outreach to facilitate access to VA services for justice-involved veterans and Health Care for Re-entry Veterans to connect veterans in jail or prison to services, including homeless prevention programs, when they reenter the community.…”

Judicial Decision-Making. A Survey of the Experimental Evidence

“…On the other hand, public support for Veterans Treatment Courts in the US spills over into general support for the legal system. This finding is explained with an effect of procedural justice (Gallagher and Ashford 2021). Support for the judiciary is also increased in participants who are induced to watch a Dutch TV series that makes judicial procedure more transparent (Grimmelikhuijsen and Klijn 2015).…”