- Eight military veterans completed veterans' court, a program that focuses on rehabilitation, on Thursday.
- The program boasts an 81% success rate, helping veterans reintegrate into society "post-graduation."
SALT LAKE CITY — During what might otherwise be the appropriate time for sentencings, 3rd District Judge Teresa Welch presided over a graduation ceremony.
Eight U.S. Marine and Army veterans were marking the completion of a program Thursday that is aimed at helping them reform and put their lives back together, rather than focusing on punishment.
Each veteran, including Marine veteran Billy Hatch, addressed a room filled with family, friends, support staff and attorneys.
"Addiction has an ugly side," Hatch said. "And at some point, I thought that this introduction to the court was somehow marring my military service."
Others, like Jay Hauser, admitted that the process was not easy.
"When I first got into this, I definitely did not think that I needed to be here because I was stubborn," Hauser said. "They will help you get your life back in order. They will help you reconnect with your family, and they will help you show that you are a proud member of society."
Related:
Weber County seeks creation of special court to aid veterans caught up in the legal system
Weber County officials seek creation of a special court system to aid military veterans with drug and mental health issues who get caught up in the legal system.To complete the veteran's court program, offenders have to take part in counseling and often residential recovery, leading to sobriety. It can take months, even a couple of years.
"Our entire job is to try to get them back up and to be productive members of the community like they once were," Jenny Kulland, with Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Services, said. "And then they're always welcome back. That's the thing. It's an open door, the VA is always available to them and will be forever because of their service."
At the end, however, charges are typically reduced, or, like in Army veteran Benjamin Hubert's case, dismissed.
"I've had these charges hanging over my head for almost seven years, now," Hubert said. "It has been difficult, extremely difficult. But the most meaningful thing up to this point that I could have ever done with my life."
Veterans, however, are not immune to recidivism, though administrators report an overall high success rate, with 81% staying out of the justice system after graduation in 2024.
