Federal Magistrate Robert Ballou has seen the success stories first hand. Tuesday morning, he spoke of one man who came through Federal Veterans Treatment Court. "He has much greater self esteem. He looks stronger. He's happier and he has his life back on the right track," Ballou said. "And it's all a credit to the treatment he's receiving."
The partnership between the federal court system and the Salem VA Medical Center is the first in Virginia and only the third in the nation. The program allows a judge to impose supervised treatment rather than jail time. And in a handful of cases so far, federal court officials and leaders of the program say the transformation has been dramatic.
U.S. District Judge Michael Urbanski says it's a small program with huge impact, a carrot and stick approach that helps veterans in trouble with the law get to the root of their problems. "They're in federal court. They know that there could be sigfnificant consequences," Urbanski said, "so you combine that with the positive over here, and it really seems to have worked well."
The veterans treatment court offers an opportunity for non-violent offenders to avoid a conviction, and a support network to help them turn their lives around.
Kristin Pugh is the Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist. "I think everybody's there giving them a helping hand and support and it's clear that they have that, maybe something they've never had in their lifetime before."
The Veterans Treatment Court has been in business since May, and has one graduate so far. Two more people will graduate later this month. With more veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse problems, those numbers are expected to grow.
