Senate Passes Coffman’s Bill for Veterans’Headed to President’s Desk for Signature…Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO) applauded the Senate’s passage of H.R. 2147, the ‘Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act’. This bipartisan bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire 50 additional Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) specialists to aid in the rehabilitation of veterans caught up in the criminal justice system. Coffman’s bill will now go to the President for his signature into law. H.R. 2147 will help those veterans, caught up in the criminal justice system due to minor offenses that could otherwise cause them to be incarcerated, have a chance to stay out of jail by participating in a required treatment program, with services coordinated and provided for by the VA, for behavioral problems associated with PTSD, substance abuse, anger management, etc. “Veteran treatment courts are great for those who served our country and are having trouble reintegrating to civilian life and for the taxpayers who would otherwise pay to have them locked up in jail and not working or supporting their families,” said Coffman, a Marine Corps combat veteran. According to Coffman, while many veterans successfully readjust and transition back to civilian life after their military service there are, unfortunately, some who do not. Too often, those who do not successfully readjust are caught up in the criminal justice system based on behaviors that are sometimes related to undiagnosed or untreated problems from their military service. “I believe that whenever possible, we as a nation should find ways to help veterans rehabilitate themselves as they navigate the legal system,” noted Coffman The ‘Veteran Court Improvement Act’ builds upon the existing, successful program that the VA created in 2009. The VJOs provide timely services to veterans involved with their local criminal justice system. The VJO Specialists are licensed social workers who work with those veterans whose cases are handled by specialized Veteran Treatment Courts (VTCs) The VTCs are dedicated to working with veteran offenders who have run afoul of the law due to underlying issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or substance abuse. This successful model avoids unnecessary criminalization of veterans with mental illness, assesses their health and social needs, and then helps develop a rehabilitation treatment program specific to the veteran’s needs. Coffman constructed the legislation after seeing the success of such programs in his local community. For example, in the 18th Judicial District of Colorado’s Veterans Treatment Court, 73% of veterans who received VJO’s assistance, and completed the court’s requirements with the aid of a VJO, did not commit new violations. Currently, there are more than 260 VJO Specialists nationwide. However, more are needed to meet the demand for their services. Currently, numerous veterans cannot avail themselves of the opportunity to enter the VTCs and succeed in rehabilitating themselves due to the shortage of VJOs. “My bill will help the VA to better meet the demands of the program and allow it to serve many more veterans. Our veterans have served us - now let us serve those veterans who need our help readjusting to civilian life. I want to thank my colleagues on both side of the aisle for getting this bill across the finish line in Congress,” concluded Coffman. The Veterans Court Improvement Act:
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