CT Gets $2 Million For War Vets Convicted Of Minor Crimes

CT Gets $2 Million For War Vets Convicted Of Minor Crimes

Associated Press
November 11, 2008
The federal government has given Connecticut $2 million to help military veterans with trauma-related disorders get their lives back on track after committing minor crimes, Gov. M. Jodi Rell said Monday.

The money is for a five-year program designed to move veterans in jail for minor crimes back into the community and provide them with mental health treatment and other services they need.

The state wants to screen at least 500 Connecticut veterans annually for trauma-related disorders and divert a minimum of 250 veterans a year from the criminal justice system to community treatment, according to the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, which is overseeing the new veterans' program.

In a report last month, the department said 1.65 million American military personnel have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including 12,000 from Connecticut.

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