LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - It has been about a year since a Nebraska court began giving veterans facing felony charges a better chance to straighten out their lives than prison might offer, and some participants say the program has been helpful.
The Lancaster County Veterans Treatment Court has accepted six veterans into the program so far, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. The court serves combat veterans with little or no criminal record before their service ended, who were honorably discharged and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury.
Corry Starks has both and was facing two felony drug charges.
Starks joined the military in 2000 and served 12 years of active duty, including four deployments to Iraq. He retired early due to medical reasons and moved to Nebraska, where he joined a motorcycle club and started using drugs. Starks began getting into trouble with the law when he was using meth, which he was influenced to do by other club members. It also became a form of self-medication.
Starks is the first veterans court participant. He said the program can be overwhelming, but it’s helping him transition back into society.
“It’s a huge life change,” Starks said. “A swing in the right direction.”
The program treats any issues that veterans might be dealing with, from substance abuse to depression or PTSD.
“In this kind of court, you know there are going to be struggles,” said Tony Conell, a coordinator. “Because relapse is going to happen. Issues are going to come up, because you’re dealing with people’s lives every day.”
All treatment is service-funded through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs instead of private providers, which keeps costs low.
“The public defender, the prosecutor, the judge, everybody is all basically donating their time as part of their normal duties, which is a great benefit, because it is reducing the amount of taxpayer dollars that are being spent,” Conell said.
He said the program is beginning to welcome more applicants. The court is looking to extend treatment to combat veterans with mental health disorders beyond PTSD and brain trauma.
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Information from: Lincoln Journal Star, http://www.journalstar.com
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