Man wants to start alternative court program for war veterans
Posted on Sunday, August 31, 2008
As a multiple combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, John Bennett has seen the need for post-war treatment first-hand.
“ We spend thousands of dollars each year to train these guys to go overseas and fight a war, ” he said. “ Then we bring them back and do very little to integrate them back into society. Some begin self-medicating because of what they’ve experienced. Their drinking often turns to drug use, which leads to crime. ”
Bennett hopes to divert troubled vets from the traditional justice system by establishing a court program tailored to their needs. In addition to rehabilitation and treatment, the program would provide vets with the tools needed to lead productive and law-abiding lives through rehabilitative programming, reinforcement and judicial monitoring.
“ They stood up for us in war and we need to stand up for them when they return, ” he said. “ Throwing them in jail doesn’t help anyone. ”
A 2007 report conducted by the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors reveals a sizable fraction of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD ). About 12 to 20 percent of those returning from Iraq, and about 6 to 11 percent of those returning from Afghanistan, suffer from some degree of PTSD. To date, 52, 375 returnees have been seen in Veteran’s Affairs hospitals for PTSD symptoms.
“ It’s very traumatic, mentally, ” said Steve Gray, veteran affairs coordinator for Rep. John Boozman’s office. “ The battle mind that keeps them alive and safe over there is what gets them in trouble here. ”
With no clear lines of offense or defense, Gray said, America’s “ War on Terror” is unlike any other war in U. S. history.
“ The enemy is very clandestine and cowardice, ” he said. “ They use women and children against us. Americans have a goodness and trust factor, more so than a lot of other countries. They go from house to house, not knowing if the next door they open will be a terrorist or a child. They have to make split-second decisions that are very difficult and very nerve racking. ”
Bennett said some soldiers have more trouble than others adjusting to a life after war. While some resume a normal family routine, others suffer dysfunction, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse and violence, he said.
“ A lot of times, they come back and try to fill the adrenaline rush they experienced over there, ” Gray said. “ Other times, they come back to find that their normal responsibilities have been taken over by their spouse. They may feel unneeded. That’s when they begin looking for ways to cope. ”
Bennett, who recently helped establish a pilot veteran treatment program in Tulsa, Okla., said he hopes to do the same thing in Fayetteville.
Oklahoma’s Veterans Treatment Court promotes sobriety, recovery and stability through a coordinated response to veterans’ dependency on alcohol, drugs and / or management of their mental illness. The program utilizes a team approach, including cooperation from drug and mental treatment health treatment courts, in addition to the VA Health Care Network, veterans, family support organizations and veteran volunteer mentors. Veterans are managed in the justice system through existing programs such as drug and mental health treatment courts.
“ New York started a vet program last year, ” Bennett said. “ I mirrored what they had and catered it to the court system in Oklahoma. We got everyone together in courts to discuss it and came up with the best plan to start a pilot program. ”
Veteran treatment court programs currently exist in three other states — California, Minnesota and New York. Bennett said he hopes to set a statewide standard for veteran treatment programs in Arkansas. He’s currently pushing local policy makers to adopt the new program.
“ With so many vets returning to the Fayetteville area, I wanted to take the program and try to do something in Northwest Arkansas, and hopefully one day, across the state, ” he said. “ Right now, I’m trying to lobby senators, state reps, legislators, mayors, judges — all the key players. I need their support. ”
Circuit Court Judge Mary Ann Gunn said she supports the idea.
“ I think we’re obligated to provide care for our veterans, ” she said. “ The women and men of the armed forces allow us to maintain our freedom and our way of life. They’re the heroes and heroines of our country. ”
Gunn, who presides over the Drug Court Program in Washington County, said the program’s success would be dependent on participants’ willingness to commit. The program, she added, must be voluntary.
“ The same rules would have to apply to them in terms of violence, background, sexual predators and drug trafficking, ” Gunn said. “ There are some people who belong in prison. Otherwise, if they dedicate themselves to treatment, I would be interested in helping in any way I could. ”
Gray agreed, adding that veterans deserve to be treated differently due to the nature of their experience.
“ I think it’s right on target, ” he said. “ There are a lot of issues facing these guys that don’t effect other people with normal jobs. When you spend 12 to 15 months over there, it becomes very normal. They become used to following a structured regimen. It’s difficult when they come back to find that everything has changed. They have all this free time and time and sometimes it gets them in trouble. ”
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