Mission
The mission of the program is to rehabilitate former personnel of an armed forces division. The program requires the perpetrator to undergo a lengthy process between six to twenty-four months. During this time, the perpetrator will pay for lab services and any other additional clinical testing. The goal is to provide effective assistance and enabling offenders to rejoin society successfully. This is one way to arrest recidivism among repeat offenders who might yield to disciplinary conditions and reform (Tarrant County, 2016).
Type of offender
The type of offender for the program is either a first time offender, repeat offender of a specific crime or a drug user. The rehabilitation program requires an offender with a military background. It requires an individual who has the potential to reform. It also requires someone with the capability to take orders and comply. The offender has to reside in Tarrant County, Texas.
Program vs textbook criteria
The criteria in the textbook and match the program criteria. The only deviation is the repeat offender clause. The textbook does not recommend the program for a repeat offender given the program will have maximum influence on a first-time offender or a habitual drug user. This program requires the candidates to be from the armed forces. Hence, these individuals have a higher chance of maintaining discipline and tendency to obey orders in comparison to regular citizens (Schmalleger, 2015).
Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the program is a remarkable since the participants recorded only a six percent recidivism. The program completion rate is at eighty-seven percent with one hundred and nine of their one hundred and fifty eight participants graduating successfully. The goal stands achieved with high completion rates and low recidivism rates (Young, 2015).
References
Schmalleger, F. (2015). Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction. Pearson. New York: NY. Pp. 308-336.
Tarrant County Staff (2016). Goals. Retrieved from: http://access.tarrantcounty.com/en/criminal-courts/specialty-programs/vdp/goals.html?linklocation=Button%20List&linkname=Goals
Young, C. (2015). Veterans’ Court Diversion Program. Retrieved from: https://tmd.texas.gov/Data/Sites/1/media/2015-jag-conference/veterans-court-diversion-program.pdf
