Loudon State Rep. Mike Moffett sponsored a bill this year establishing a “veterans court,” offering a prison alternative that focuses on recovery and care for veterans convicted of crimes. Although the bill cannot change any verdicts made, the state can impose a different kind of sentencing for convicted veteran felons.
Moffett, a retired Marine Corps troop commander, has “seen veterans run into trouble with the law,” according to an NHPR article. Moffet believes these crimes are tied to their military service.
“If someone is impacted physically or emotionally due to their service to their country, we want to factor that in when sentencing them for certain crimes,” said Moffet.
Many of these “troubles” stem from post-traumatic stress disorder-related struggles, many being tied to substance abuse.
There are currently 171 veterans incarcerated in New Hampshire, and over half of them suffer from mental health issues, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
According to Windham Rep. Bob Lynn, the former chief of the N.H. Supreme Court who co-sponsored the bill, the court serves as a distinct docket within the existing court systems, similar to the drug and mental health courts in the state.
This veterans court serves as a useful resource for individuals struggling with mental health or substance abuse-related issues and could be a pivotal addition to the criminal justice system in this state. PTSD can trigger many responses that some individuals have no control over, resulting in unfair legal decisions being made before the background is checked. The veterans court will allow assessment of veterans and their crimes to determine if it was mental health-related and how it should be dealt with. However, the program is still not a top priority.
Helen Hanks, the commissioner of the state’s Department of Corrections, explained her department’s role in this program would be nonexistent as she does not have the staffing to maintain their position.
“We don’t have additional probation and parole officers to provide that resource,” stated Hanks. This makes the idea of a court extremely hard as many veterans involved are required to complete court-ordered treatments such as therapy, submit drug testing and consistently connect with a parole officer. Without these people, the court would fail to exist.
Additionally, there has been much success seen from the drug and mental health courts as the number of individuals in state prison facilities has decreased. This means that since these courts have been so successful, the state funding will continue to be supplied toward them over the veteran courts.
Hanks says the speciality courts can “overload the parole system.” Even while these courts help individuals have better success after run-ins with the law, the veterans court legislation did not provide any additional staffing, resulting in a shaky foundation for the idea.
A veterans court would have a high success rate if implemented in the state. However, it would be hard to establish one if there is a lack of staffing, funding or demand. Additionally, some individuals who benefit from the mental health court are already on a veterans track, and since mental health and drug courts already exist, it would be easy to find an overlap for the veterans courts within the ones that already existed.
However, the need for a veterans court is still necessary. In order to establish one successfully, there needs to be a more stable foundation in terms of funding and staffing to ensure the court can actually function. When it does, it will provide amazing benefits to the veterans in the community.
Jaden Johnson can be contacted at
