Anyone hear of Veterans Court? What is it?

SPC Ryan Su — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:55:59 -0400

What is veterans court?

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 8:59 PM

CW4 Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 20:59:41 -0400

No I haven't but now I am interested to find out.

Response by SPC Ryan Su made Jun 22 at 2015 9:01 PM

SPC Ryan Su — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 21:01:00 -0400

https://veteranstreatmentcourtli.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/veterans-treatment-court-journalism-story-may-2011/

Response by CW4 Pam Collins made Jun 22 at 2015 9:03 PM

CW4 Pam Collins — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 21:03:30 -0400

We have a Veteran's Court in Pulaski County, Missouri. They provide an alternative to incarceration by allowing veterans to be part of a rehabilitation program. They are required to attend anger management, counselling, weekly court sessions, and appointments with the VA, depending on the offense(s) they committed. All are required to take urinalysis tests weekly. They are required to pay for those services not covered by the VA. If they fail to meet the requirements, come up "hot" on a urinalysis, or become involved in additional criminal activity, they can be removed from the program and serve time in jail. My husband and I were mentors for a while. Each veteran in the program has a mentor - someone they can talk to or reach out to when they are struggling. Its a good program, when it is run correctly.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 22 at 2015 9:55 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 21:55:13 -0400

I am a police officer in Watertown, SD. We have a special diversion program for veterans. It could be considered Veterans Court. We also have a team of veterans and current service members in the area that help out with it.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Jun 22 at 2015 10:37 PM

Capt Seid Waddell — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 22:37:51 -0400

I have heard of it and they seem to do a lot of good for veterans, but I don't know how widespread they are.

Response by Cpl Mischa Brady made Jun 23 at 2015 1:02 AM

Cpl Mischa Brady — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 01:02:30 -0400

Court for Veterans through the regular court system to take in account the veterans issues in service of the country for why the veterans broke the law. Instead of punishing a veteran like a regular civilian they take in account issues such as TBI's, PTSD, Trauma, and ect. Into account for proper punishment and personnel recovery instead of incarceration.

Response by SSG Thomas Brousseau made Jun 23 at 2015 1:02 AM

SSG Thomas Brousseau — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 01:02:48 -0400

I think it is a good concept and from my research it has proven to be extremely successful.

Response by SSG Izzy Abbass made Jun 23 at 2015 1:12 AM

SSG Izzy Abbass — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 01:12:18 -0400

Here's a summary on Vet Courts in Colorado:
Veteran Treatment Courts (VTC) are a generally a hybrid of the drug and mental health courts and are an effort to reduce recidivism rates of individuals who served in the armed forces, suffer from an Axis 1 diagnosis such as PTSD or TBI and are involved in the justice system regardless of discharge status. Nationally there are 130 VTCs across the country and currently 4 VTCs in Colorado. Unfortunately only one has been in existence long enough to generate any significant data – the 18th Judicial District. The four VTCs in Colorado are as follows:
• 4th Judicial District - El Paso County, established in 2009
• 18th Judicial District - Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln Counties, established in 2013
• 17th Judicial District - Adams County, established in 2014
• 2nd Judicial District – Denver, which currently has a small Veterans track as part of the Drug Court, established in 2011
The initial VTCs in Colorado were made possible due to a SAMHSA Grant awarded to the Colorado Department of Behavioral Health. The grant provided funding for project management, Peer Mentoring and Evaluation and ends on 31 March 2014.

A typical entrant into a VTC is part of the program for 18-24 months. VTC teams assist Veterans in obtaining their earned benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, obtain stable housing and connect socially with the community to include employment, behavioral health services including PTSD, TBI and substance abuse support and employment. A key component to the VTC’s success rate is utilization of Peer Mentors to work directly with the participants. Peer Mentors for the VTC are Veterans from various service eras working with each Veteran. Challenges facing these Veterans entering the VTCs include1:
• Homeless or Unstably Housed – 23%
• Unemployed (looking for work) – 33%
• Not Sufficient Income to Meet Needs – 60%
• Experience Non-Military trauma before age 18 – 70%
• Served in a Combat Theater – 92%
• Military Service Trauma – 99%
• Thoughts of Suicide – 25%
• “Fair” or “Poor” – 40%

Nationally through February 2013, 7,724 Veterans have been admitted to the courts across the US. Length of involvement in the courts ranges on average from 15 to 18 months, slightly longer for felony offenders2. Of the Veterans who are no longer supervised by the court, slightly over two-thirds completed the court and healthcare treatment regime successfully. Upon successful participation in the VTC, Veterans can often have their records sealed. Result from the evaluation of participants in the 4th JD has yielded the following results3:
• 156 Veterans in the VTC; 111 evaluated
• 56 have graduated from the program (records may be sealed)
• No recidivism by program graduates within 1 year of graduation (National avg. for those entering the judicial system is 68-75%)
• In program recidivism is 14%
• This is the 1st Felony-Level VTC in the Nation
• Considered a National Model for other VTCs
• Community Savings per participant $33,390 per year (Probation vs. Department of Corrections sentence)
• It is estimated that the 156 participants have equaled a $5.21 Million savings to date.

Response by SSG John Jensen made Jun 23 at 2015 1:34 AM

SSG John Jensen — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 01:34:05 -0400

there is one an Santa Clara county, the judge is fantastic for sentencing vets to treatment

Response by SSG Ralph Innes made Jun 23 at 2015 12:22 PM

SSG Ralph Innes — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 12:22:41 -0400

CW4 Pam Collins was spot on in describing Veteran's Court. I practice law in southeast Missouri and Butler County is the venue for Veteran's Court for this entire area. One of the first questions I ask my criminal clients is if he/she are a veteran. We have a great program and the success rate is high. Success rate is measured not only by successfully completing the program, but also post graduation success. One of the main benefits to Veteran's Court over drug court is that they allow candidates to be on prescription meds and they also understand that there might be rules violations during the program that require additional treatment versus the "one strike and your out" approach to drug court. In speaking to candidates and the program directors, though, the biggest benefit is the fact that veterans relate better to other veterans. If your local community doesn't have a Veteran's Court, you should do what you can to try to get one in place.

Response by PO1 John Miller made Jun 23 at 2015 1:04 PM

PO1 John Miller — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 13:04:34 -0400

We also have it in Tucson:

http://www.tucsonaz.gov/courts/veterans-court

Veteran's Court

There is much documented evidence that a significant number of the Veterans who returned from the Viet Nam conflict experienced rather severe problems adjusting to civilian life. Many Veterans remained untreated for a long period of time. The VA recognizes that that many of the Veterans who have fought in the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are returning with mental health problems. Nationally, the VA is in the process of identifying...

Response by SGT Don Matyja made Jun 23 at 2015 1:23 PM

SGT Don Matyja — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 13:23:13 -0400

They have it the SO. Cal. area it helps those who have been in the military with different ways to go other than JAIL. Some times it will keep it off your record

Response by LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow made Jun 23 at 2015 6:01 PM

LCDR Rabbah Rona Matlow — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 18:01:59 -0400

There was an episode on 60 minutes a couple years ago. The basic concept is to give vets convicted of offenses in which their PTSD was a player a second chance.

They go to 2 years of intensive in and out patient therapy, keep their noses cleaned and at the end their conviction is expunged.

Because after all, everyone knows that prison is the best place to treat PTSD...

Response by SPC Glenn Lovell made Jun 24 at 2015 12:24 PM

SPC Glenn Lovell — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:24:58 -0400

The better part of Veterans' courts as opposed to the drug courts, is that the judges and prosecutors are receiving more education and training in veterans issues. With a better knowledge of the psychological side, the courts are doing much better than they were initially expected to. Add in the mentors and VA assistance programs and it's much better than the drug court system. We have them here in Idaho, too. Law enforcement is a lot more tolerant of homeless veterans now as well; instead of a flurry of vagrancy citations there's increased support being given to them.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2015 12:34 PM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 12:34:30 -0400

Many counties are establishing courts to deal with veterans. One of the things the program tries to do is get the right help for the veteran. They develop a plan and then if the veteran follows through on the plan the courts take that into consideration when completing the case. There is one in Hamilton County, OH and they are starting one in Boone county KY. Not all counties have them, but they are getting good reviews.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 24 at 2015 2:58 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 14:58:27 -0400

There is Veteran's Court in Nebraska, but compared to the other state's Veteran's Courts it is pretty useless.
It completely avoids to assist soldiers convicted of violent crimes (neither misdemeanors nor felony). and DUI/DWIs, which are basically the "bread and butter" of Veteran's main committed crimes after the service besides Substance Abuse. Even that rarely gets looked at and passed down to the Drug Court.

Response by TSgt Thomas Monaghan made Jun 24 at 2015 4:10 PM

TSgt Thomas Monaghan — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:10:55 -0400

Yes we have a small Vets court one in Maine, it is supposed to help Vets who get in trouble attain job skills,counseling help accessing the programs available for the VA. I would like to start housing units just for vets in county jails in Maine. I would like to see Vet courts extended to all 50 states and all 14 counties in Maine. As we all are well aware of the service cares about you while your of use to them, but they don't want to pay or provide the care you need after you get out. We thought things changed after Vietnam but after working in corrections for 14 years I can tell you it has not. We need to do all we can to help our fellow Soldier's/Airmen/Marines and Sailors.

Response by SSgt Jason Trout made Jun 24 at 2015 4:12 PM

SSgt Jason Trout — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:12:56 -0400

Wish there was one in Virginia. Would have helped me for sure.

Response by PO1 James Trombley made Jun 24 at 2015 4:14 PM

PO1 James Trombley — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:14:35 -0400

In a nutshell, veterans courts are a community initiative to help veterans that have found themselves in trouble with the law due to service related conditions and/or difficulty transitioning to civilian life. These lucky veterans can get the help they need adjusting rather than sitting in jail. Its a great program but not every city or county has them.

Response by SPC Christopher Crawford made Jun 24 at 2015 4:25 PM

SPC Christopher Crawford — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:25:32 -0400

If you don't like psychologists or can't honestly say that you're going to be able to give clean drug tests for the duration of your "stint" then I would highly advise against vetrans court, it could take something as small as a DUI an escalated and prolong punishment or "supervision" for an eternity. I wouldn't even consider it if there wasn't a guarantee of expungement, sometimes during the time is easier.

Response by MAJ F. Patrick Filbert made Jun 24 at 2015 4:29 PM

MAJ F. Patrick Filbert — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:29:49 -0400

Last month's Army Magazine had a great and in-depth article on VTCs; unfortunately its not online and you need to be an AUSA member to see it. The one here in Las Vegas (Henderson actually south of the Strip) has done great things and is overseen by a retired Marine JAG judge, several of the court officers are Vets, and the mentor coordinator is a retired Army O-6. Mentors are "battle buddies" and work with the mentees who must work to make it out of the program. Here is a nation wide perspective article I came across recently (before the Army Magazine one): http://www.justiceforvets.org/what-is-a-veterans-treatment-court

Response by Cpl Bruce Raftery made Jun 24 at 2015 4:37 PM

Cpl Bruce Raftery — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:37:53 -0400

I started one in Southern Utah. 4 years of research. We've been up and running for 18 plus months. Having sucess so far.+

Response by PFC Gary Winsett made Jun 24 at 2015 6:48 PM

PFC Gary Winsett — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:48:52 -0400

Yes is for when you a noon get in the service and you've gotten in trouble say for domestic violence then the judge will take in to acct.of your service and if you every been in combat zone . He then will postpone your court case un-till you have been seen by the VA. Doctors to see if you are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and if you are then the judge will order you to be treated for it and like me I didn't even know I had it even after everyone else said I had it bad I didn't belive them till the doctors said I had it bad. After that I got treatments for it he discovered missed the case after he spoke with the doctors and my wife.

Response by PFC Gary Winsett made Jun 24 at 2015 6:53 PM

PFC Gary Winsett — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 18:53:58 -0400

Dallas TX and fort Worth Tx.each have one.

Response by SSG Craig Greenberg made Jun 24 at 2015 7:01 PM

SSG Craig Greenberg — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 19:01:15 -0400

They have started a veterans court in the Third District Court in Salt Lake City.

Response by CMSgt Milton Bell made Jun 24 at 2015 9:42 PM

CMSgt Milton Bell — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 21:42:35 -0400

Several states conduct veterans courts. Also, free legal clinics for vets are held at various locations. I use my LINKS FOR MIL\RET\VETS website at http://www.hostmtb.org to spread the word about these and other veterans related events such as town hall meetings, stand downs, job fairs, etc. If interested, the retiree\veterans events schedule can be reached directly at
http://www.hostmtb.org/RADs_and_Other_Retiree-Veterans_Events.html

Response by PO1 Kerry French made Jun 24 at 2015 10:49 PM

PO1 Kerry French — Wed, 24 Jun 2015 22:49:46 -0400

Yep, they are considered "therapeutic" courts and the judges take into consideration the issues that affect veterans, and can prescribe other alternatives besides just throwing the book at them.

Response by SSG Curtis Armstrong made Jun 25 at 2015 8:30 AM

SSG Curtis Armstrong — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 08:30:40 -0400

Ohio had a few initiated back in 2009... not sure if they are still operating.
http://www.resurrectinglives.org may have a lot more info on their website!

Response by SrA Gretchen Sutter made Jun 25 at 2015 1:12 PM

SrA Gretchen Sutter — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:12:51 -0400

We have that in our county. It is for veteran's who find themselves in trouble with the law and can get into programs through the court to help keep them out of trouble and rehabilitate.

Response by SPC Allison Joy Cumming made Jun 25 at 2015 2:30 PM

SPC Allison Joy Cumming — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 14:30:36 -0400

I have. We have a few here in Massachusetts that have been doing a good job of addressing the needs of veterans. It seems to be working well, not only veterans but also court officers I know have been passing on the positive outcomes. The outcome in a regular court would have been very different. They don't let you off the hook, so to speak, but they do allow you to prove you deserve a second chance.

Response by SP5 John Anderson made Jun 25 at 2015 2:33 PM

SP5 John Anderson — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 14:33:17 -0400

It is part of the legal system that takes into cocideration issues amongst combat veterans.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Jun 26 at 2015 6:31 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:31:49 -0400

Yes, often local VA hospitals will sponsor a stand down for homeless vets or vets with issues. At a stand down it is not uncommon to have medical treatment, addictions services, county services, employment services, and legal help. Often Judges from various counties will come and hold a Veterans Court to hear what the veteran has been doing and give them a chance to clear things like outstanding tickets, low grade warrants and things of that nature. They may waive or reduce court fee's and fines depending on the offense. Working for the VA I have been to couple of stand downs and seen a lot of patients resolve issues that kept them from getting jobs, or places to live taken care of.

Response by PO1 Aaron Baltosser made Jun 30 at 2015 9:03 PM

PO1 Aaron Baltosser — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 21:03:09 -0400

It's a part of the civilian court system the gives special consideration to Veterans for the crimes they committed based on the total package mental, medical, PTSD, Depression etc. in some casesit appeared to offer mitigating circumstances for the crime basedon the total person.

Response by PO2 Chuck Steele made Jul 1 at 2015 3:58 PM

PO2 Chuck Steele — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 15:58:03 -0400

I am currently in VTC here in Tulsa. As many have posted, VTC is an alternative to incarceration. Basically, one would have to plead guilty to whatever her or his initial charge. By doing this, you agree to possibly wearing a GPS and/or SCRAM alcohol monitoring device (I wore both for about 7 mos....roughly $300/mo for EACH), taking anywhere from 1-6 urinalyses PER WEEK...roughly $15 per test, seeing a supervisor monthly ($40), therapy as needed, & some type of AA or NA numerous times per week. If you fail any of these (& the court deems you unworthy of the program), the judge will sentence you to whatever you agreed to upon pleading into the program. Like everything else, it has its problems, but overall it is a blessing for the men and women who have served our country..

Response by CPL Daniel Phillips made Jul 2 at 2015 2:26 AM

CPL Daniel Phillips — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 02:26:42 -0400

We have them all throughout Texas, have to be diagnosed with PTSD and or TBI. Just make sure you don't have a shit lawyer that totally lets you get screwed into the regular judicial system. Mine was nice enough to do that for me after spilling my entire military history and health record.

Response by Cpl Mike Weber made Jul 2 at 2015 5:58 PM

Cpl Mike Weber — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 17:58:18 -0400

Yeah, here in Montana we have a few. Basically you go to the same type of hearing as anyone else but you can have a Vet rep as well as an Attorney, to state your case, and that is about all I know

Response by SPC Allison Joy Cumming made Jul 10 at 2015 7:51 AM

SPC Allison Joy Cumming — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 07:51:31 -0400

I guess every court is a bit different. But I have heard nothing but great things from people working in the courts, people working directly with comrades going through the veteran court process. From my understanding veteran court is a VERY clear example of goal setting, accountability and achievement. Applying concept we (veterans) understand to civilian court.

Civilian court does the same thing, it is not a transparent to those going through the process.

I applaud this movement!

Response by SPC George Grimm made Jul 10 at 2015 10:15 PM

SPC George Grimm — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:15:47 -0400

I wish it would have existed after I got out! It started 2 months after I got done with the courts!