OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018

Floor Speech

Date: June 13, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Veterans

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Mr. CONNOLLY. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from California for his leadership.

I rise in support of the Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act of 2018 requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire 50 Veterans Justice Outreach specialists to support veteran treatment courts.

We have a sacred obligation to serve the needs of our Nation's veterans, including those struggling with addiction and the invisible wounds of war. Twenty percent of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression. One in six battle with substance abuse.

Left undiagnosed or untreated, these illnesses can lead to an encounter with the justice system. Worse yet, they can also lead to suicide, which veterans commit at more than twice the rate of the civilian population.

Fortunately, specialized veteran treatment courts are being developed across the country to help veterans who suffer from substance addiction or mental health disorders, and they receive the assistance they deserve.

The first such court was established in Buffalo, New York, in 2008. Since then, more than 300 have opened across the country, including one in Fairfax County and another in Prince William County, both counties I represent. I was glad to help establish the first docket in Fairfax County, and have been a proud supporter ever since.

By bringing these service organizations, State Veterans Services Departments and volunteer mentors into the courtroom, veteran treatment courts promote community collaboration and can connect veterans with the programs and benefits they have earned and they need.

Having a veteran-only court docket ensures that everyone, from the judge to the volunteers, specialize in veteran care; and the involvement of fellow veterans allows the defendant to experience the camaraderie to which he or she has become accustomed in the military.

We know this model works. It is our hope that the additional Veterans Justice Outreach specialists provided for in this bill will help promote veteran treatment courts as an alternative to detention for our Nation's returning heroes, and help them with the transition to civilian life.

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