Veterans who have had run-ins with authorities might be able to find a second chance thanks to a new path through the court system.
According to ABC News, former servicemembers and legal professionals gathered this week at the Veterans Treatment Court Conference in Washington, D.C., to discuss the benefits of the courts. The conference was sponsored by Justice for Vets, a nonprofit that connects former servicemembers with the mental health and substance abuse treatment that they need.
Many veterans who attended the conference thanked the system for saving them from incarceration and providing them with a chance to reform, while legal professionals discussed the future of treatment courts.
"Someday in the not-so-distant future when there is a vet treatment court in reach of every vet in need, we will look back on today as the moment we turned the corner," Judge Robert Russell, who founded the first veterans treatment court in 2008 said at the conference, as quoted by the news source.
According to the Justice for Vets official website, veterans treatment courts work in a similar way to addiction and mental health courts. The courts require frequent appearances – typically bi-weekly – and mandatory attendance at counseling sessions.