30 New VTC Mentors from Seven TN Judicial Districts

KNOXVILLE (WATE) – A program that helps veterans who end up in the criminal justice system is growing and needs more mentors.

Knox County Judge Chuck Cerny and Ed Junod helped start Veterans Treatment Court program in Knoxville last year, modeled after a similar program in Buffalo. The focus is on breaking addictions and coping with mental health issues that can be unique to veterans. Veterans volunteer their time to help their peers get back on track.

“Veterans Treatment Court started out helping me because I have P.T.S.D. and they help me out quite a bit to overcome. My goal now is to help every veteran that needs help anywhere,” said Bob Hatley, a mentor coordinator in Monroe County.

“Veterans Treatment Court started out helping me because I have P.T.S.D. and they help me out quite a bit to overcome. My goal now is to help every veteran that needs help anywhere,” said Bob Hatley, a mentor coordinator in Monroe County.

Those who helped start the program visited with Knoxville leaders Thursday about how the program works and why it is growing. Currently their are more than 200 similar programs through the country.

“The results are just absolutely miracles. The published report that came out in February said 89.5 percent of graduates never went back to jail. 89.5 percent- there is no court in the country that does that,” Junod said.

“Incarcerating people is extremely expensive, but changing people’s lives so that they can get jobs and get back on the taxpayers roles and they don’t have to be incarcerated is an extremely intelligent way of approaching criminal justice,” Cerny said.

Former Army officer Mark is about to graduate from the local program, but he’s staying on to help others. “You should move forward nonstop, but things happen in life, divorces and other things in life that happen, that can bring you down or lack of a better word put you in positions you don’t want to be in,” said Mark. Leaders of the program are hoping others, like Mark, will stay on so that they can grow the program.

For more information on volunteering, click here.

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