Criminogenic Needs and Legal Problem Severity Among Legal System Involved Veterans

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Many veterans seeking behavioral health services have history of criminal–legal involvement. Research on criminogenic needs of legal system involved veterans is burgeoning. However, most research has relied on cross-sectional examinations and the vast majority of prior work has focused assessment on just one criminogenic need per study. Methods The present study evaluated seven key criminogenic needs of legal system involved veterans (N = 341) enrolled in one of three U.S. Veterans Health Administration residential behavioral health treatment programs. Criminogenic needs and legal problem severity were assessed at baseline, and at 6 months and 12 months post-baseline. Directionality of associations between participants’ criminogenic needs and legal problem severity was examined using latent change score models. Results Results revealed having more antisocial associates at a previous timepoint was associated with greater subsequent improvements in legal problem severity ($\beta $=−0.01, P < 0.02) and greater improvements in legal problem severity predicted greater subsequent improvements in alcohol problem severity ($\beta $=0.13, P < 0.01). Conclusions In one of the most comprehensive single-study assessments of criminogenic needs among a sample of legal system involved veterans, results highlight links between antisocial associates and alcohol problem severity with legal problem severity.