BELLEFONTE – Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna on Tuesday afternoon announced the launch of a Veterans Treatment Track Initiative for Centre County.
“Our court system is committed to doing everything we can to support the men and women who have served our country,” said Cantorna.
“We have been in need of a track for veterans who come into the criminal justice system, so we can ensure that veterans receive the resources and treatment they need as they transition back to civilian life.”
He said the initiative will lay the groundwork for a veteran’s treatment court and additional resources to support area veterans. Its goal is to identify and divert eligible veterans into a comprehensive Veteran Administration-driven treatment program.
He said by connecting veterans to VA treatment and community-based services, it’ll:
- support veterans in readjusting to civilian life,
- assist veterans in navigating through the core treatment and VA systems; and
- give each individual the best possible chance of getting back on track as a healthy, productive veteran and citizen.
In order to be considered for the program, Cantorna said an applicant must provide proof of service in any capacity with the U.S. Armed Forces; be charged with a non-violent crime; and, most importantly, be amenable to treatment.
Once applications are reviewed and preliminarily accepted, he said they will be referred to advocates within the Veterans Administration in order to align the person with services through the VA or other appropriate agencies.
Cantorna said applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and approved when the safety of the public can be assured, victims made whole and individuals are held accountable for their actions in a manner that is appropriate to the crime.
