The Davidson County Veterans Court was established with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in October of 2014.

 

Beginning in 2008 with the first dedicated Veterans Court in Buffalo, New York, Veterans Courts have been established across the nation with a remarkable record of success in returning veterans in distress to a productive life as a full participant in society.

 

Veterans Courts embody the concept of restorative justice, involving the defendant in the process of treatment and rehabilitation to address the causes of a crime that brought them to the court, rather than merely locking them away with no prospect to rehabilitate themselves.

 

In today’s dangerous and evolving world, veterans are returning from battlefields never before encountered in America’s military history. Many return with deep physical and psychological damage, traumatic brain injuries and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among other issues. Veterans often seek to deal with their problems without professional assistance through the use of alcohol and/or drugs.

 

The resulting addictions can lead to alienation from friends and family, inability to find and keep a job, frustration with their life and ultimately commission of a crime.

 

Through a program of supervision and treatment, the professionals on staff of the court work with the veteran to address the causes of their problem and help them regain the ability to assert control over their life. Nationally, Veterans Treatment Courts have a success rate exceeding 80%.

 

The Veterans Court program is difficult and demanding. There is no acceptance of excuses and the court does not absolve the veteran of responsibility for their actions. What we do is provide the structure and assistance to veterans with a goal of giving them back control of their lives.

 

For the men and women who have given of themselves to protect our nation, we should do no less.