Commission study SR196 maps veterans' "Cascade of Care," merges VA and court records for analysis

The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing described significant progress on its legislatively mandated study of veterans in the criminal justice system (Senate Resolution 196), including data linkage across agencies, site visits and development of a framework the commission calls the "Veterans Cascade of Care."

Deputy director Noah and research staff reported the project has merged veteran-status records from the Department of Veterans Affairs with Commission data and Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) records to permit cross-jurisdictional analysis. Staff said the merged data allow the team to follow veterans through citation and filing in magistrates— and municipal courts, through Court of Common Pleas filings, and into sentencing outcomes.

Research staff have completed surveys of county jail wardens and president judges, held interviews with veterans-justice officers, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and representatives of the Regional Veterans Treatment Court created in 2024. Site visits have included Allegheny County, Jefferson County and a state corrections veteran services unit (SCI Houtzdale). Staff said the merged administrative data indicate about 6% of individuals in the commission—s sentencing dataset are veterans; staff called that a preliminary figure for the study.

The team described the Veterans Cascade of Care as a sequence of steps to identify and link veterans to behavioral-health services: identification (asking about military service as early as possible), screening with brief evidence-based instruments, clinical assessment by trained clinicians where indicated, referral to appropriate treatment resources, initiation of treatment and ongoing retention/continuity of care. Staff told commissioners the model was adapted from cascade frameworks used in public-health and substance-use treatment research and tailored to the criminal-justice context.

Noah and research staff said they will continue analysis of administrative datasets, survey and qualitative data; a Chester County site visit is planned for May, and the advisory board will meet to review findings and inform recommendations. Staff also said they plan to brief Senator Coleman—s office as the team finishes the report and moves from findings toward implementation options.

Commissioners noted that identifying veterans early in the criminal-justice process and ensuring screening and assessment capacity are common challenges, especially in rural jurisdictions that may have fewer behavioral-health providers. The study aims to identify barriers and potential policy or practice recommendations that could be implemented at county and state levels.