Vietnam Veteran Larry Strange is feeling better today. Better than he has in many years, thanks to his new-found sobriety and the help of the Kansas City Municipal Veterans Court.
Strange is one of the 1.2 million combat veterans who are arrested each year in the U.S. He has struggled with the addiction issues so many combat veterans face, and recently found himself in a Veterans Treatment Court after being convicted of multiple alcohol-related offenses. It was a blessing in disguise.
The Kansas City Municipal Veterans Court was one of a handful of innovators that helped launch the Veterans Treatment Court model in 2008. Today, according to Justice for Vets, 102 official Veterans Treatment Courts are spread throughout the U.S., and dozens more are in the planning stages. Veterans like Larry Strange are benefiting from these specialty courts, getting the critical help they need to address issues such as homelessness, unemployment, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and chronic substance abuse.
And most of these Veterans spent no time in the criminal justice system prior to their service and return to civilian life.
Larry was able to take part in a 4 month pilot program that allowed combat veterans diagnosed with alcohol abuse issues to wear 24/7 alcohol monitoring bracelets. “This is the only thing that’s held me accountable, and I’m finely feeling healthy again,” said Larry to the people in the crowded courtroom who had come to lend their support to Larry and other veterans who were graduating from the program. “I held my best friend in my arms as she passed away from alcoholism. Without this bracelet, I would have slipped. And I wouldn’t have been there for her when she passed,” he told the court.
In October CBS News 60 Minutes joined a long list of national news outlets exploring Veterans Treatment Courts. Texas State District Judge Marc Carter, himself an Army Veteran, talked about the impetus for his Harris County Veterans Court, some of the challenges of getting it off the ground, and the impact the program has had to-date.
The nearly unanimous conclusion reached by officials, courts, legislators, journalists and veterans groups around the country: Veterans courts are needed. They’re working. And they’re the right thing for communities, working in conjunction with the U.S. Veterans Administration and other state and federal organizations, to do for those who sacrifice and serve on our behalf.
If you’d like more information about Veterans Treatment Courts and a comprehensive listing of existing programs across the country, be sure to visit Justice for Vets for more information.
A Thank You, From Our Family to Yours
Alcohol Monitoring Systems is a proud supporter of Veterans Treatment Courts and the Wounded Warrior Project. On behalf of our staff and our organization, on this Veterans Day, we would like to thank all members of the U.S. Armed Services and our U.S. Military Veterans.
This is a wonderful program that was started in Buffalo, NY by Judge Robert Russell and a dedicated team of volunteers. They continue to help support and train new veterans courts around the country.