Douglas County Veterans Treatment Court Opens, Joins Nationwide Support Efforts

District 20 State Senator John McCollister, the Honorable W. Mark Ashford, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Nebraska’s Problem-Solving Court Statewide Coordinator Scott Carlson were joined by volunteer veteran mentors and other special guests on Friday, November 4 at the Omaha-Douglas Civic Center for the inaugural ceremony to open Douglas County’s new Veterans Treatment Court.

Veteran Treatment Courts (VTC) operate in most states in the Midwest, and there are more than 220 VTCs nationwide. Most VTCs are run by county or other local court systems. They are used to divert offenders into treatment programs instead of sending them to prison. Less than 1 percent of Americans serve in the Armed Forces, but 25 to 30 percent of American prisons are populated by veterans. Currently, about 11,000 veterans are being served by VTCs, saving taxpayers $248 million and achieving a 98 percent success rate.

Nebraska already has a system of problem solving courts, which includes a Young Adult Court and several types of Drug Treatment Courts. Senator McCollister introduced LB 915 in the 2016 legislative session to add a Veterans Treatment Court Pilot program to the current roster of problem solving courts. LB 915 was folded into LB 919, Senator Matt Williams’ priority bill, which was passed by the legislature without opposition.

Nebraska’s new Veterans Treatment Court is a wise investment and will restore the lives of people who made great sacrifices for our country. “When we consider what our veterans have done for us, it becomes imperative that we not just ignore the challenges they may experience from their military service,” said Senator McCollister. “If we restore these veterans to full health, we will all benefit from the effort.”