Keeping Veterans Out of Jail
Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are much more likely than civilians to end up homeless, addicted to drugs or alcohol, suicidal or in jail. The U.S. loves its soldiers. Until they come home. Backing for those vets gets a little trickier, especially when they no longer fit that hero blueprint – it’s enough to make some consider taking that yellow ribbon off the old oak tree.
Being seen as a hero adds to the pressure for some veterans who know that what they did and what they didn’t do may be far from laudable. But the world still craves the strong, silent conqueror even when, inside, the conqueror feels as if (s)he is crumbling, or worse, a fraud. Ex-soldiers find it particularly difficult to ask for help, and that is why they often end up in trouble, facing a judge who, frankly, doesn’t care what service the individual standing before him provided a year or decade ago.
Some, however, do care. The past three years has seen an explosion of Veterans Courts, designed specifically to help former military who through bad decisions or bad luck find themselves facing time in prison. Advocates, like Justice for Vets, say that a sympathetic court system that recognizes the unique pressures that veterans find themselves under not only helps the veteran in trouble, but saves the court time through reduced recidivism, saves the government money, protects the community and helps veterans get back on their feet, restoring their dignity in the process.
Nuts and Bolts of Veterans Treatment Courts
Ask a soldier and (s)he’ll tell you that serving in the military is like no other life experience. Trying to merge back in to the civilian world is often challenging. For those veterans who end up in the court system, there is increasing understanding by the courts that giving a veteran a helping hand instead of handcuffs may be better for the veteran and better for society as a whole. Veterans Treatment Courts take key concepts from Drug and Mental Health Courts to look beyond the specific crime to the situation or mental conditions that may have led to act. Vets suffering from PTSD often have issues with alcoholism, drug use or serious mental health disorders.
Using the the Drug Court model of trading recovery time for prison time, judges may grant veterans the opportunity to become clean, take advantage of mental health services provided by the Veterans Administration, and work with volunteer veteran mentors to get their lives in order. The court provides coordinated services to help the veteran deal with all the components of his life that led to committing a crime. Not only does the court work with veterans’ families to help them offer support, the vet is paired with a designated vet mentor who keeps in constant touch to help mitigate any temptation to return to the conditions that led to the crime. Unlike other drug courts, the Veterans Court has the backup of a dedicated health network. As part of the Veteran Justice Outreach Initiative, the VA Health Care Network includes a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist (VJO) within each of their medical centers who coordinates outreach that extends to local law enforcement, jails and the courts; assesses the needs of the vet and provides case management for those involved with the justice system.
Veterans’ Treatment Courts provide an early intervention for justice involved offenders and rely on partnerships with local VA medical centers to provide immediate services for participants. The VA offers a wealth of services for all veterans. It is important to engage local Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists to assist justice involved veterans in receiving the treatment and benefits to which they are entitled.
For a complete list of Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists by state, click here.
by Lynn Goya
Published in Veteran Journal May 5, 2011