Denver Drug Court Opens a Special Track for Veterans

Does having PTSD give them the right to break the law? No and they don't expect to be able to do it any more than they want to break the law. When it comes to combat veterans this goes far beyond the normal because they are not "normal" citizens. Normal citizens live in a tiny world of their own with their own problems focusing on their own needs, wants and desires first. Face it, we're basically self-centered, caring about people in our lives and oblivious to others. While combat veterans have the same wants, needs and desires as the rest of us, they didn't put themselves first when they decided to serve in the military. The country came first, in other words, all of us. Then it was the men and women they served with coming before themselves. Their family and friends came after that and they were willing to be away from them so they could do what the country asked of them. This all came with a higher price for a third of them.

When what they saw and what they did became too heavy on their souls, they sought help reluctantly. Why? Not just because of what some experts point to as a stigma. It goes beyond that. People like them are the ones being turned to to help and they are the least likely to ask for it for themselves. When they do seek it, most of the time it is a battle to get and when they do get it, it is not what they need. When almost half of the suicide deaths came after seeking help, that is a massive inditement on the support they have waiting for them.

Medications are another issue. Some have been found to be useless. Some have been found to do more harm than good. Can anyone really wonder why they would end up using drugs or drinking to numb their pain away and calm themselves down? Can anyone blame them for avoiding what has been passed off as "care" when they see their buddies getting worse instead of better?

This is why there is a great need for Veterans' Courts. They have broken the law. The same law attached to the nation they were willing to die for. With Veterans' Courts they end up having someone with knowledge watching over them instead of just pushing them away or locking them up. They have to do their part and do what the judge orders them to do or they end up in jail. This is not a "get out of jail free" pass but it is a chance to heal.

Denver Drug Court Opens a Special Track for Veterans
September 27, 2011 By Zachary Willis

Earlier this month, the Denver Adult Drug Court implemented a Veterans Track within its existing problem-solving courts program. As a result, some military veterans charged with non-violent crimes may now have the opportunity to be enrolled in the court-monitored treatment and accountability program.

The drug court program was expanded to create the new track, which is designed to balance the specialized treatment needs of veterans with the need to protect the community’s safety. The goal is to provide non-violent offenders with effective treatment while still holding them accountable for their actions.

According to the press release from State Judicial, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals reports that one in six veterans returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq suffer from a substance abuse challenge; one in five has symptoms of a mental disorder or cognitive impairment. Post-traumatic stress disorder can be an underlying factor in crimes allegedly committed by veterans and their subsequent involvement with the criminal justice system.
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