Mahoning veterans court expansion holds promise

About five years ago, Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Robert Milich became one of the pioneers in the United States in establishing a specialized court for veterans charged with misdemeanor crimes. In the ensuing five years, the popularity and success of such Veterans Treatment Courts have fueled their unprecedented growth nationwide.

Their track record of success makes it encouraging to see expansion of VTC into the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. There, Judge Shirley J. Christian announced this week establishment of a VTC that will specifically target veterans charged with nonviolent felonies.

A 13-member planning committee, including veterans’ service and mental health and substance-abuse recovery officials, probation and community corrections officials, and prosecuting and defense lawyers, is coordinating efforts to get the court started.

“We’re missing a large part of the population that has felony charges that we need to address,” Judge Christian said. “They [veterans] have special problems that are not addressed by either drug court or mental- health court,” she added.

Veterans courts seek to treat veterans and break the cycle of drug use, mental-health issues and criminal behavior. In return for robust participation in a highly regimented and disciplined program of rehabilitation, successful court graduates avoid jail time.

WINNERS ABOUND

Franklin County Veterans Court Judge Scott VanDerKarr has called the expansion of VTCs “a win-win proposition.” The honorable judge is absolutely correct.

Who wins? First and foremost, American’s veterans do, many of whom suffer deep and lasting scars from conflicts from World War II through the War on Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Many suffer mental-health disorders or drug-dependency problems. Sometimes they spiral out of control into criminal activity. The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 60 percent of 140,000 veterans in federal and state prisons struggle with such issues.

Local communities and their economies also win. Through a variety of mentoring and treatment services, veterans make the slow but productive journey back into society and gainful employment.

American taxpayers also win. VTCs have a proven track record of reducing incarceration and recidivism rates, thereby reducing the burdensome costs of prison operations on citizens.

Clearly, the expansion of veterans courts in Mahoning County holds promise. One caveat, however, would be to ensure that the rehabilitative interests of veterans do not trample on the rights of victims seeking fairness and proper meting out of justice. Initial plans to limit the common-pleas treatment court to those veterans facing nonviolent and nonsexual felonies appear to acknowledge the need to maintain that delicate balance.

We look forward to speedy action to get the court up and running and commend Judge Christian for her leadership in that endeavor. Americans who risked their lives for their country and who have suffered adverse consequences as a result have earned access to all available resources to rebuild their lives.