SBAND Seminar Materials 2013 Free Ethics: Echoes of War The Combat Veteran | Page 20

way,
 a
 criminal
 charge
 can
 often
 be
 an
 effective
 tool
 to
 get
 troubled
 veterans
 the
 help
 they
  need.

C.

Lack
 of
 Communication
 Between
 Criminal
 Courts
 and
 the
 VA
  System

Historically,
 there
 have
 been
 no
 formal
 lines
 of
 communication
 between
 the
  criminal
 courts
 and
 the
 VA.

 Most
 courts
 are
 not
 aware
 of
 treatment
 options
 available
 to
  veterans
 through
 the
 VA
 and
 do
 not
 know
 where
 to
 go
 to
 find
 out.

 Unfortunately,
 this
 leads
  to
 disparate
 treatment
 of
 similarly
 situated
 veterans.

  In
 the
 worst
 case,
 the
 veteran
 moves
 through
 the
 system
 without
 being
 identified
 as
  such,
 or
 worse,
 is
 demonized
 for
 his
 or
 her
 criminal
 behavior
 without
 any
 heed
 paid
 to
 its
  underlying
 cause.

 No
 effort
 is
 made
 to
 explore
 treatment
 options.

 The
 veteran
 is
 convicted
  and/or
 locked
 up
 and
 does
 not
 receive
 the
 treatment
 he
 or
 she
 needs.

 Most
 are
 eventually
  released
 back
 into
 society
 in
 even
 worse
 condition,
 posing
 an
 even
 greater
 threat
 to
 public
  safety.

  In
 the
 best
 case,
 the
 court
 ensures
 that
 all
 treatment
 options
 at
 the
 VA
 are
 explored
  and,
 where
 appropriate,
 determines
 that
 specialized
 treatment
 is
 the
 more
 logical
 and
 just
  alternative
 to
 a
 jail
 sentence.

 The
 court
 orders
 the
 veteran
 into
 treatment
 as
 a
 condition
 of
  probation.

 Failure
 to
 complete
 that
 treatment
 exposes
 the
 veteran
 to
 jail
 time.

  When
 handled
 properly,
 a
 criminal
 charge
 can
 often
 be
 a
 win-­?win
 for
 all
 involved.

  Troubled
 veterans
 are
 identified
 and
 given
 the
 opportunity
 to
 avoid
 a
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