Alaskan City Establishes Diversion Court for Veterans July 15, 2004
News Summary
Anchorage, Alaska, has launched a special Veterans Court designed to direct military veterans with behavioral problems into a comprehensive rehabilitation program managed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Anchorage Daily News reported July 14.The diversion program is designed to prevent veterans charged with misdemeanors from falling into a life of crime.
"Veterans often come back from their service in combat or the military with problems," said Alex Spector, director of the VA in Alaska. Currently, the VA runs addiction, mental health and job-placement programs, a homeless shelter, halfway houses, health, and dental services.
The new therapeutic court will work in the same manner as alcohol, drug, and mental-health courts already in operation. Rather than arresting and jailing veteran offenders for a few days or weeks only to return them to the same type of life, the new court will connect veterans to VA resources.
Veterans who want to participate in the diversion program would have to plead guilty or no contest to at least one of the charges against them. Sentencing would be delayed until they complete the program.
About 30,000 veterans live in Anchorage.
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