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Many veterans, especially combat veterans, turn to drugs and alcohol
as an effort to self-medicate service-related issues. The goal of VATIP
is to reduce veterans’ criminal behavior and rearrest rates
while helping them turn their lives around.
In general, comprehensive “veterans-helping-veterans” service
programs and drug court programs have been effective in reducing the
rate of recidivism. A recent study indicated that only 15 percent of
drug court participants were rearrested, but the rate for non-participants
was over 75 percent.
The VOC’s case managers, who have the professional expertise to
determine the root causes of arrested veterans' addictions, work with
district attorneys, judges, public defenders, and other elements of the
Unified Court System of the Seventh Judicial District.
Once identified and screened, veterans are linked with veteran-specific
substance abuse and mental health treatment programs as alternatives
to incarceration. To graduate from Drug Treatment Court, participants
must meet the following criteria: achieve at least one year of sobriety,
a high school diploma or completion of a GED program, and gainful employment.
Completion of these requirements may take up to two years and sometimes
longer.
According to the City’s Drug Treatment Court Supervising Justice,
Patricia Marks, the court “has enjoyed an ongoing relationship with
the Veterans Outreach Center for almost four years.” Justice Marks
also stated, in part, “The case managers are an integral part of
our court as they give updated status reports on the defendants directly
to the judge. Due to the availability and expertise of the VOC case managers,
the veterans’ needs are met quickly.”
The Veterans Alternatives to Incarceration Program is funded with generous
support from government and private foundations. Not only is this program
very cost-effective, it saves taxpayers money, because enrolling veterans
in treatment programs costs significantly less than housing them in medium
security-jails and frees up prison beds for more dangerous criminals.
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