By Usman O. Suleman, CFCC Student Fellow (2018-2019)<\/p>\n
Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) is a theory of law that is one of the shaping principles of the University of Baltimore School of Law\u2019s Sayra and Neil Meyerhoff Center for Families, Children and the Courts.\u00a0 TJ is an interdisciplinary philosophy of law that takes into consideration social sciences and data to promote favorable results over detrimental ones.\u00a0 Favorable results are referred to as \u201ctherapeutic,\u201d while unfavorable ones are referred to as \u201canti-therapeutic.\u201d\u00a0 TJ aims to restructure the legal system in such a fashion that minimizes anti-therapeutic results as much as possible and maximizes therapeutic results.\u00a0 Such approaches often require more flexibility than permitted in the typical judicial system.\u00a0 It is with this goal in mind that many problem-solving courts were created.<\/p>\n
On November 13th<\/sup>, 2018, the Baltimore City Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) celebrated its third-year anniversary and the graduation of six of its participants.\u00a0 The Honorable Halee F. Weinstein founded the court in 2015, after observing veterans go through the city\u2019s criminal and other treatment courts.\u00a0 Veterans Treatment Court programs nationwide are founded on the understanding that veterans can experience unique issues with criminal activity, drug\/alcohol dependency, and other mental health challenges.<\/p>\n The transition from duty to civilian life can be arduous.\u00a0 Supporting that transition while addressing the aforementioned challenges, fueled the creation of VTC programs nationwide.\u00a0\u00a0 Our nation\u2019s veterans who sacrificed on our behalf deserve a judicial system willing to take their circumstances into consideration.\u00a0 VTC programs are founded on 10 key components, which are based on therapeutic jurisprudence principles.[i]<\/a><\/p>\n I have had the pleasure of working in and observing Baltimore City\u2019s VTC program for the past three months and have witnessed first-hand how TJ came into play in the program.\u00a0 Nothing was more telling of the success of TJ and the program than the graduation ceremony.\u00a0 During the ceremony, Judge Weinstein shared that so far, the VTC program has a 0% recidivism rate for its graduates.\u00a0 Notably, only two charges have been made post-graduation, with one nolle prossed and the other charge resulting in a not guilty verdict.<\/p>\n I am hopeful that, where appropriate, justice can look more like the way it does in the VTC program than in the traditional judicial system.\u00a0 On multiple occasions, participants in the program have been presented with the opportunity to resolve their criminal charges, despite not fulfilling their program goals.\u00a0 Each time the participants elected to remain in the program.\u00a0 Justice can be so beautiful and encouraging when the community comes together to provide resources to those who need them.\u00a0 The successes of the Baltimore VTC program and VTC programs nationwide will hopefully lead society down a therapeutic judicial future.<\/p>\n\n