Mentorship Paradigm Lights Path to Recovery

Monroe County Veterans Court solidified its commitment to encumbered veterans last week, ruling on Wednesday in favor of justice for four locals with military status.

The four – a woman and three men – opted for Veterans Court treatment after an encounter with law enforcement.  Since then, each has endeavored to create a restorative outcome.

Veterans Court is overseen by General Sessions Judge Dwaine B. Thomas, who said it was “not a get out of jail card.  The role of Veterans Court is to take a negative thing and make it positive” Thomas told justice-involved veterans in his Justice Center courtroom on the day of their commencement.

The driving forces in that transmutative process are mentors who pair with their fellow veterans.  Mentors work with justice-involved veterans (JIVs) on multiple fronts.

They are an accountability partner, listening ears, experienced guides, and leaders who know the way forward.  One JIV described his mentor as a “beacon in the storm.”  Another said mentors held the creed “never leave a fallen comrade behind”, even when it was “off the battlefield.”

Ultimately, mentors accompany JIVs to Veterans Court to make a case to Judge Thomas, a plea to forgive the past, another chance to get it right.  Thomas said the justice system owed a “debt of honor” to its military.

Acknowledged on November 1 for sticking with the tenets of Veterans Court were Brandon Freeman, Sean Rooker, Joseph Swift, and Cathy Demary.  The four were given an opportunity to reflect on their experiences and speak to the court’s interpretation of justice.

Swift, one of the few JIVs in active service, credited Vet Court with preserving his security clearance.  “The Vet to Vet program has made the difference between a life-altering event and a minor setback,” he said.

Vet to Vet – or Vet to Vet Tennessee – is the team of mentors and the muscle ensuring Veterans Court outcomes are impactful.