The Judiciary’s mission for the Veterans Treatment Court (VTC) is to intersect justice-involved veterans and divert them into treatment, judicial monitoring, and supervision so they can once again become productive members of the community. Often times, their involvement in the justice system can be linked to their military service. Diverting our veterans from prison and into appropriate treatment and services will minimize or prevent the unnecessary criminalization and extended incarceration of our veterans.

The goal of the VTC is to provide treatment and services to eligible, justice-involved veterans. Under this program, eligible veterans would be admitted into the VTC. The target population is males and females 18 years of age or older whom are able to provide written proof of veteran status.

The VTC consists of two tracks. Track I is partially grant-funded through an award from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. Participation in Track I is voluntary and open to veterans charged with a non-violent offense. Track II is open to all veterans and is entirely locally funded.

Veterans in the justice system may opt to enter other therapeutic courts such as Adult Drug Court or Mental Health Court, which may not be properly equipped to address the special needs of veterans. If veterans are qualified and volunteer to be a participant under the VTC program, regular court appearances are required. Additionally, the Veterans Treatment Court requires mandatory attendance at treatment sessions and are subject to frequent and random testing for substance abuse.

Overall, this program seeks to address homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, medical issues and injuries of our veterans through a collaborative network of service providers committed to fostering sustained recovery. This network consists of federal government, government of Guam, private and non-profit entities such as the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Office of the Attorney General, and local veteran organizations.

More information on Veterans Treatment Court may be found at Justice for Vets.