Judicial Services Report 2016, 225th Anniversary Edition

Accepted participants will be assigned a Veteran Mentor. Veteran Mentors are veterans of the armed services who vol- unteer their time to assist participants in the court. Veteran Mentors are not part of the Veterans’ Court team, but rather are a resource designed to provide advice, personal experiences, recommendations, and guidance to veterans involved with the legal system. A Mentor will be assigned to each veteran participant (offender). This unique relationship promotes and fosters, through encouragement, a “can do” attitude in the participant; the participants become motivated to accomplish their goals in treatment, to feel that they are not alone, and to know that the Mentor and the court are there for them. The Lancaster County Veterans’ Court is a post-plea/pre-sentence court which has three possible tracks: 1. diversion 2. modified 3. non-diversion. For participants whose cases are on the diversionary track, sentencing will be deferred pending completion of the Veterans’ Court program. Upon successful completion of the Veterans’ Court program, including payments of fines, costs, and restitution, the participant’s charges may be reduced, dismissed, or the District Attorney’s Office may agree to ex- punge the pertinent charges as previously agreed, subject to court approval. For participants whose cases are on the modified track, sentencing will be deferred pending completion of the Veter- ans’ Court program. They will plead guilty to a minimum of two specific offenses, one more serious than the other. Upon successful completion of the Veterans’ Court program, including payments of fines, costs, and restitution, the more seri- ous charge will be dismissed. Accepted participants will also be expected to participate in and complete numerous pro-social, treatment-oriented activities based on an individualized treatment plan. Typically, these may include but are not limited to: meetings with Veteran Mentors, AA/NA Meetings (or approved alternatives), group and individual therapy, medication manage- ment/psychiatrist appointments, regular appointment with a Veterans’ Justice Outreach worker, weekly court appearanc- es, community service, probation appointments, and random drug testing. As each participant requires a different level of intervention based on need and progress, the participants’ specific needs may require the participant to be involved in other related activities. A participant can expect to receive a sanction if they violate the Veterans’ Court program rules or fail to achieve cer- tain Phase requirements. Typical violations that may be sanctioned include: missed appointments, failed or adulterated drug tests, new arrests/charges and lack of participation in treatment. Sanctions will be imposed relative to the violation, and will be progressive in nature. Sanctions may include: essays, loss of privileges, phase demotion, additional fines, cur- few restrictions, incarceration, and termination from the Veterans’ Court program. The Veterans’ Court team reserves the right to impose these and/or other sanctions appropriate to each particular participant and violation.

In turn, if the participant maintains purposeful and positive participation in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas Veterans’ Court, the participant may receive appropriate recognition as well. The method of recognition will be de- termined by the Veterans’ Court team and specific rewards will depend on available resources.