- Established a development team of five staff members and subject matter experts specializing in veteran cultural competency, VTCs, and court operations to inform and review a training curriculum designed to increase knowledge and usage of the newly enacted transfer policy. Legal professionals representing potential training participants also informed the development of the curriculum.
- Created a training module that covers topics such as military and veteran cultural competency, justice-involved veterans’ needs, VTC benefits, recent expansion efforts in New York, and operational considerations for implementing transfers.
- Conducted one virtual and one in-person training for nearly 200 professionals involved with VTCs, including judges, district attorneys, defense counselors, court administrators, and veteran peer mentors.
- Administered a post-training survey to participants, collected feedback, analyzed results, and revised the training module for future iterations.
- Developed recommendations (see below) to strengthen implementation and maximize usage of the transfer policy.
- Posted the virtual training online for future viewing and feedback.
Survey results showed that the training increased participants’ knowledge of the transfer legislation, fostered networking opportunities, and facilitated the exchange of best practices. Participants responded positively to the training, noting the comprehensive content, the subject matter experts’ knowledge, and the opportunity to provide input to improve future training opportunities. Their input helped shape Justice For Vets recommendations, which emphasized the need to foster relationships between court professionals and judges, expand training opportunities for those involved in VTCs, and share lessons learned.
Despite the project’s success, a key takeaway was the hesitation among court staff to implement the transfer policy, largely because of a lack of established relationships between courts—resulting in minimal usage of the policy. Though training attendees felt confident in knowing the ins and outs of the policy, without a firm agreement between transferring and receiving courts, data has shown that these transfers are unlikely to occur. To address this challenge, NYHealth awarded a grant in June 2024 to the New York State Defenders Association. This grant will engage court officials in six counties with existing VTCs to build relationships with neighboring counties, fostering collaboration and ensuring effective use of the transfer policy.
Co-Funding and Additional Funds Leveraged: N/A
