California, Others Cut Veterans Courts From Budget

California, Others Cut Veterans Courts From Budget

Though specialized veterans courts can save taxpayers up to $12,00 per client, some states have squashed the initiative to curb budget spending.

As many as 25 to 30 percent of returning veterans suffer from mental illness, according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, a statistic that inspired Buffalo, NY to establish the first Veterans Treatment Court in 2008. Modeled after drug courts, it aims to lead veterans down the road of recovery and sobriety, instead of throwing them behind bars. While more than 80 such courts have cropped up in the last three years, states like California have nixed their opening to cut spending, the Bay Citizen reports.

“Nobody knows what the hell these guys are going through. It can quickly spiral out of control,” Ken Gardner, a veteran who now practices law, told Lancaster Online. “We certainly owe it to them to at least look at another option [for prosecution].”

Lancaster, PA—home to more than 250 imprisoned veterans—is slated to open a veterans court in January, the news outlet reported.

Though offering troubled veterans access to drug and alcohol treatment, mental health counseling and employment services has proven to help them rehabilitate and kick their criminal past, California Gov. Jerry Brown recently vetoed a bill that would’ve expanded the system, according to the Bay Citizen.
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