New veterans' court in need of volunteers
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- A court system designed exclusively for military veterans will begin operating in Cumberland County next month. Coordinators of the new court are asking veterans to step up in mentor roles to supplement support offered to servicemen and women who will be tried through this system.
"There are a lot of people who understand the plight of veterans and want to make sure our veterans are taken care of here," said project director Sanya Eller.
The Veterans' Treatment Court is a fairly new concept that began in 2008. The model court was established in Buffalo, N.Y. and aims to rehabilitate non-violent veteran and active-duty offenders facing misdemeanor and felony charges. Those veterans have faced criminal charges related to substance abuse and mental illnesses incurred during service.
The goal is to treat them for those illnesses through court-appointed programs, and keep them out of the criminal system.
"It's a holistic approach to getting the veteran who has been identified as a result of the criminal act to become a full and productive member again in society," said Craig Shore, the program's court coordinator. "I see the Cumberland County Veterans' Court as being the jewel in the Southeast crown of Veterans courts."
Veterans facing charges will have an option to apply for the court where they may be offered a reduced sentence in exchange for time served in substance abuse and mental illness counseling programs.
Shore, a 20-year Air Force veteran and former substance abuse counselor, said the consistency of court personnel in this district court will allow for better understanding of the issues that may have led to the veterans' criminal charges.
"I believe the judge has got to want to do this," he said. "It's got to be a calling versus a job because when there's a calling, there's passion. This is the type of job where all the players, all the pieces of the puzzle, have to have passion for the veteran."
Those players include an assigned volunteer veteran mentors.
"It's one of the most important pieces, that extra support," Eller said. "The court people can't be with them day in, day out. So sometimes they'll need to call somebody else. They'll just have that need out there and that's what the mentors will provide."
Eller said Cumberland County is currently seeking those veteran mentors from all branches of services. They need to have a clean criminal record, be willing to submit a background check, go through training and commit to their assigned veteran for one hour a week for at least one year . Interested mentors can call (910) 475-3243.
Cumberland County's Veterans' Treatment Court will be the second court of its kind in North Carolina. Another one opened in Harnett County last year. Court coordinators will work closely with Fort Bragg and community partners, including the VA, Alliance Behavioral Health, and Fayetteville State University. Eller said the partners will provide referrals and supplemental treatment options.
Eller said Cumberland County had been after veterans' court funding for years and finally landed a $74,000 grant through the Governor's Crime Commission this year. It will finance the court for one year. So, Eller is already searching for alternate funding to keep the court operating after next fall. She and Shore said it's a crucial resource in an area with the largest veteran population concentration.
"We're hoping with this Veterans' Treatment Court that instead of the cycle being in and out of jail, that we help them become productive members of society because they'll be in a very structured environment," said Eller.
