Page 10 - Ohio Vol 4 No 7
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Lean Fo
Advancing Veterans Trea BY JUSTICE SHARON L. KENNEDY
The  rst time, it was un- expected. A er that  rst time, you anticipate it— the sound of someone crying or the sight of someone’s eyes welling up with tears as you speak about treatment issues fac- ing America’s returning combat veterans.  e pain is real and the release of tears for that parent, child, or in-law of a combat vet- eran is understandable because—  nally—someone is talking about what they have been living with since their solider returned home. And they’re learning that our justice system can provide help, and hope, through our Vet- erans Treatment Courts.
According to a recent RAND Corporation study, over 2.7 mil- lion service members have served on over 5 million deployments in the combat theaters of Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. Approxi- mately 10 percent of those ser- vice members have served three or more deployments. Whatever the cost to the nation’s treasury, the true toll of these wars is the human one.
Many service members return home with injuries we cannot see. A 2008 RAND study con- cluded that nearly 20 percent of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or major depression. Nineteen percent re- ported that they may have suf-
fered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while deployed. For those veterans battling the invisible wounds of war, there is o en a co-occurring substance abuse disorder. In turn, families and communities are also deeply af- fected.
In 2008, Judge Robert Russell of Bu alo, NY, noticed an in- crease in the number of veterans coming into the criminal justice system. Recognizing that signi - cant numbers of veterans were returning from combat zones experiencing symptoms related to TBI, PTSD, and depression, Judge Russell designed and im- plemented the nation’s  rst Vet- erans Treatment Court to help address the unique di culties facing justice-involved veterans. An important aspect of his pro- gram involved helping veterans utilize the bene ts and treatment available to them as a result of their service, including Veterans Administration (VA) resources that might not be otherwise available at the local level.
Two years later, Judge Jerry Ault of the Mans eld Municipal Court established the third Vet- erans Treatment Court in the nation and the  rst in Ohio. Dur- ing that same time, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Stratton was appointed to a VA committee to help create the Vet- erans Justice Outreach program. She also began the Veterans Wrap
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