Rehabilitation over Incarceration for Disabled Vets
By Corey Gavin
May 22, 2017
As a disabled veteran with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and as a recovering alcoholic, I have had my own run-ins with the justice system in the past. My experience was probably similar to any other person who has committed non-violent crimes. I was shuffled through the system, placed on probation and completed community service. I personally have no complaint as it pertains to this process. The way I see it is that I committed the offense so it was up to me to go through the process of making up for it.
What I see lacking in this process, however, is that it does nothing to address the underlying cause(s) behind the offenses being committed, thus often leading to recidivism. I make no excuses for my previous offenses but if there had been a program through which I could have gotten help, subsequent offenses may never have occurred.
In Kent County, there is such a program. The traditional justice system process involves the offense being committed to local law enforcement interception, arrest, and detention. What follows is an initial appearance in court, jail for pretrial, appearance in dispositional court, then to release, jail or prison. Finally, there is either probation or parole back into the community with little focus on rehabilitation.
The Kent County Veterans Treatment Court (KCVTC) steps in for qualifying veterans at the initial detention phase of the process and focuses on treatment and rehabilitation rather than incarceration and release. From the KCVTC 2017 Public Presentation Slideshow, Veterans Treatment Courts (VTC) are specialized treatment courts designed to meet the particularized needs of veterans. The goal is to divert eligible veteran-defendants from traditional or other specialty courts to a specialized criminal court docket. These veterans suffer from substance abuse, mental illness and co-occurring disorders who are charged with, what are typically, non-violent felony or misdemeanor criminal offenses. The court substitutes a treatment-based problem-solving model for traditional court processing. VTCs are specifically structured to help those who served our nation.
What the KCVTC focuses on, is treatment for substance abuse issues, mental health issues, and emotional disabilities. It integrates academic and/or vocational training with job skills training and placement services. It further provides access to community-based supportive services. Additionally, it is a voluntary process that is driven by peer support from previous graduates of the program. The KCVTC promotes sobriety, recovery, and stability through a coordinated response to the veterans substance abuse and mental health issues.
I was a career soldier who never wanted to do anything other than serve in the military, but after too many head and bodily injuries, I physically could no longer do the job. Upon release from the military, I struggled with Post Traumatic Stress, self-medicated with alcohol and realized that on paper the military did not prepare me for any civilian job out there. Essentially I felt left behind. Programs like the KCVTC breaks that cycle and truly makes a difference in people’s lives. I have no doubt that if we had similar specialty courts for the civilian population recidivism rates would decrease and rehabilitation would be a true possibility or even a reality.
