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This article draws on a case study of how Massachusetts treatment courts responded to the COVID-19 pandemic to address two intersecting theoretical and policy questions: (1) How do actors who work within criminal legal organizations use the law to solve complex social and political problems? (2) How do organizations working within multiple, fragmented organizational fields respond to an exogenous shock? The findings draw on interviews with eighty-four treatment court judges and practitioners and build from neo-institutional approaches to the study of courts to show that legal actors and organizations pursue pragmatic approaches, strategically adapting to their external environments through buffering, which is protective, and innovation, which is transformative. Each strategy reflects the courts’ autonomy or dependence on other organizations in the criminal legal and social service fields. The findings also provide insight into the social process of legitimation as personnel aligned beliefs with adaptation strategies, shifting understandings of surveillance practices and the utility of sanctions to meet overall court goals. 

This Article argues for better integration between Veterans Treatment Courts (“VTCs”) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) by increasing court staff’s training and knowledge about VA benefits. VA healthcare, housing, education, and monetary benefits can provide the stability and hope that many VTC participants need to successfully complete their court-mandated rehabilitation. We posit that VTC teams should include members who are knowledgeable about all VA services. Integration with the Veterans Health Administration (“VHA”), which can provide free or low-cost mental healthcare and substance use disorder care, 1should be among the most important priorities for VTCs, with the goal of reducing recidivism for addiction-related offenses. Additionally, VTCs with staff trained to refer veterans to the appropriate Veterans Benefits Administration (“VBA”) programs 2would help participants plagued by homelessness, lack of education, and other social disadvantages begin to build promising futures. We provide detailed information about the range of services available through the VA and call for greater integration of these two disparate but increasingly interdependent organizations—the VA and VTCs—so those who need VA benefits most do not suffer from inadequate access to the benefits they have earned.