Military veterans: Therapeutic journaling in a veterans treatment court

Abstract

Therapeutic journaling can promote self-reflection and contemplation in ways that extend treatment beyond the in-person therapeutic encounter. Although the research literature on journaling is scant, evidence suggests that journaling improves physical and mental health functioning. Therapeutic journaling is now becoming more commonplace in the criminal justice system, where it has been integrated into preconviction and postconviction efforts to reduce recidivism. The purpose of this paper is to highlight one court-based program, a veterans treatment court, in which journaling is a core component of a program seeking to enhance the therapeutic impact of the criminal justice system on military veterans. Using primary data, we describe the program, how it became part of the court’s model, and stakeholders’ perceptions of the impact of journaling on participants’ experience in court. The authors also outline the implications of journaling for military veterans and practitioners and identify steps for future research.