Bexar County Courthouse completed in 1896.
Photo Credit: Terry Gildea (TPR)
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More than two dozen municipalities around the country have opened special courts for veterans who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Later today, Bexar County officials will unveil their new veteran’s treatment court. The goal is to provide services that will help offending vets get their lives back on track. Texas Public Radio’s Terry Gildea reports.
September 3, 2010 · More and more veterans are coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with conditions that can affect their lives in the civilian world. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury are often linked to violent and aggressive behavior. Vets dealing with these circumstances can also develop a dependency on alcohol or illegal drugs. Military and veterans organizations are offering more support, but what happens when a vet finds himself behind bars for a crime related to his condition? Officials in Bexar County believe they have that answer and they’re unveiling a court that deals specifically with vets. Ed Coffey is Veterans Programs Coordinator for the Bexar County District Attorneys Office.
“The whole concept is the idea of getting the veterans into a situation where we can help manage them to success, accessing Veteran’s Administration programs and here the Center for Health Care Services has also stepped up to the plate. And for those veterans who are not VA eligible, they will help them as well,” Coffey said.
As Coffey says, the program will be open to all veterans, not just those who have served in war and an honorable discharge is not required. If you’re a vet facing a misdemeanor charge, you may qualify for the program.
“We’ve decided that we really want to get involved in this and at the same time we want to be able to balance the needs of the veterans for treatment against the needs of the victims if there are any in such crimes,” Coffey said.
Ray Olivarri is the Judge for County Court Six and will preside over the new veterans treatment court. He says the concept is similar to the county’s drug and mental health courts and it gives vets the chance to be pro-active about their recovery, but he warns the program will not be an easy way out for offenders.
“This is not a free ride. It’s the most intensive type of probation that Bexar County has to offer. It involves daily reporting to their probation officer, their case workers, their group counseling, individual counseling and once these veterans are drug free, stabilized and productive citizens, their case will then be successfully terminated,” said Olivarri.
As part of their recovery, offenders will have to pay out of pocket for the treatment and services they receive. That provision will also help fund the program during a tight financial period for both the county and the state. Lawmakers in Austin passed a bill in the last legislative session allowing the establishment of veterans treatment courts. A program in Harris County has been up and running for several months. Aurora Sanchez is the Executive Director of Bexar County’s Department of Community Resources and the person charged with finding funding for the program. She’s says despite the recession, government and veteran organizations are financially committed to the program.
“I think in these times with emphasis on the high suicide rate for our veterans and the fact that Bexar County has got the second largest population of veterans in the state of Texas, that the governor’s office has been pretty gracious in giving us 142,000 dollars initially. We’re going to continue throw that net out there for any dollar amount that we can find,” Sanchez.
The County will soon deicide if it will commit more than a quarter million dollars to the program and will also draw funds from the veterans lottery ticket program. But as the court gets up and running, officials are looking for cases that fit the program’s profile. Because of the way the law was written in Austin, the court will begin hearing only misdemeanor cases. In a situation where there is a victim to crime, that victim must offer his or consent for the vet to enter the program. Sanchez says there should be plenty of possibilities.
“We’re looking in our mental health court population. Pre-trial Services is also looking through their existing caseload. Adult probation is looking through its existing caseload, and we’ve got a really good magistrates program to begin to identify veterans. So, we’re looking for these cases every place we can. And our natural partner is the Veteran’s Administration,” said Sanchez.
Bexar County Commissioners are expected to approve the new Veterans Treatment Court next week. An important milestone for supporters of the program and the many vets returning home to Bexar County after serving in war overseas.
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