Aborn: Manhattan DA’s Office Should Implement Vets Diversion Treatment Program Used in Bklyn & Quns
NEW YORK- The Manhattan DA office should implement a diversion treatment program for veterans with mental health issues pushed into the criminal justice system for non-violent crimes, Manhattan DA candidate Richard Aborn said today. The program, recently initiated in Brooklyn, Queens and Nassau County, extends a helping hand to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan by screening those accused of crimes to see if they may be eligible for diversion from the criminal justice system into treatment programs.
“I’ve been talking throughout this campaign about a preventive model for stopping crime before it starts, by using community programs that keep people off the streets, out of jail, and away from a life of substance abuse and crime,” Aborn said. “We ought to extend that approach to everyone in Manhattan, and we certainly ought to find ways to help those individuals brave enough to defend our country have constructive alternatives to incarceration. As D.A., I will work to expand these kinds of programs and ensure that the resources of police and prosecutors are devoted to violent crime, and that non-violent drug offenders, especially those who defend us, are given a chance to get treatment instead of a sentence to state prison.”
According to Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, 70,000 veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq have returned to New York state, 8,000 of them to New York City. Studies show that 20 to 30 percent of veterans returning from combat zones suffer from “invisible” mental health wounds, like post-traumatic stress disorder, but don’t seek treatment they need due to the stigma attached to mental health disorders. Instead, many veterans self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, which puts them at even greater risk of committing crimes.
The program announced this week in the neighboring counties will use existing resources in the courts and district attorneys’ offices to screen about 100 veterans accused of crimes in each of the three counties each month. Court officials estimate that about 10 percent of those screened should be eligible for diversion programs. Staff in the prosecutors’ offices and courts will screen veterans for eligibility for treatment.
In Brooklyn and Queens, the cases of veterans found eligible for treatment will be handled in existing mental health and drug treatment courts. In addition, the three district attorney’s offices are applying for a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, which will enable them to add social workers dedicated to dealing with the problems of veterans. Aborn said today he supports this application and would aim to find similar revenue sources to expand the program into Manhattan.
Any veteran will be eligible to participate as long as they have not been accused of a violent crime. Efforts will also be made to identify veterans who have been the victims of crimes and provide them with needed services.
Before acceptance into a treatment program, veterans must plead guilty and abide by court-imposed requirements. They will be monitored, through frequent court appearances, to determine whether they are progressing with their treatment and complying with other requirements. Those who successfully complete treatment will be eligible to have their criminal cases dismissed, charges reduced or their sentences lowered.
Aborn warned that one concern with the program is that veterans may be made to plead to a higher level felony in order to get diverted, adding that cases should be evaluated individually to determine whether it is advisable for a defendant to waive legal rights to get the benefits of the program.
