Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow is proud to announce that the Will County Veterans Court graduated seven veterans who have successfully completed the intensive program and are now living drug-free lives.
Veterans from several branches of the Armed Services and who now live in Joliet, Channahon, Manhattan and Romeoville graduated Jan. 11.
State’s Attorney Glasgow established the Veterans Court in 2012 to provide treatment, counseling and assistance to local veterans who have struggled with mental health and substance abuse disorders since returning home from military operations.
“Veterans often suffer from substance abuse problems or mental health disorders stemming from their service to our Nation,” State’s Attorney Glasgow said. “When they come in contact with the criminal justice system, we have an obligation to acknowledge their service and provide them with the treatment and counseling necessary for them to regain their lives.”
In Veterans Court, the State’s Attorney’s Office partners with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, the Veterans Assistance Commission of Will County, the Center for Correctional Concerns, the Will County Health Department and the Will County Public Defender’s Office to provide veterans with the treatment and mental health services they need to complete the program and restore their lives.
The Veterans Court:
- assists veterans with honorable or general discharges or current members of the military who suffer from mental illness, mental disorders and/or substance abuse disorders as a result of having served in or having supported a combat theater.
- offers an inter-agency, collaborative, non-adversarial treatment strategy for veterans in the criminal justice system.
- provides veterans with a network of state and federal Veterans Affairs Departments in conjunction with social and legal aid agencies to assist with his or her specific issues.
Selected defendants are required to plead guilty to their crimes upfront before they are allowed into the court. They are required to remain drug free, submit to random drug tests, find work, follow through with treatment and attend weekly counseling sessions. If they comply with all of the court’s terms, they graduate, and in most cases their charges are dismissed or possibly reduced to misdemeanor.