Hartford Courant
Peggy McCarthy
February 16, 2015
Mary Kate Mason, a spokesperson for the state mental health department, said, "The average cost of these services is about $420 per person per month" compared with the $2,895 monthly cost for incarceration.
Two programs that connect arrested veterans to treatment – rather than jail – report that many are getting their lives back on track.
Some 81 percent of veterans in the program run by the Veterans Health Administration have not been arrested again. And one run by the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services shows a 36 percent drop in illegal drug use among its veterans and a 44 percent decrease in symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
"So many people are getting what they really need, which is treatment and not incarceration," said Laurie Harkness, the VA program director. "It's making such a difference in so many veterans' lives."
The programs, designed to help veterans with mental health and substance abuse problems, operate in courts statewide, where social workers reach out to arrested veterans to let them know about treatment options for PTSD, anger management, and addictions, among other illnesses.
If a veteran agrees, the social worker will recommend treatment options to the court, and will guide veterans through the process. A judge decides whether to sentence the veteran to a treatment program instead of jail or other penalties, such as fines. The crimes committed range from motor vehicle violations to domestic violence charges to car thefts.
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Look back at where Veterans Courts began
The Veterans Treatment Court originated in Buffalo, NY in January of 2008 and is presided by Judge Robert Russell and the assistance of court coordinator Marine Vietnam Veteran Hank Pirowski. There are several veteran mentors with varying degrees of experience who play an integral role in the function of the court. By giving defendants the opportunity of being guided by someone with whom they can relate to, these veteran mentors provide an essential function to the treatment court
Veterans Court Resource Guide National Center for State Courts
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