Legal advocates urge expansion of veterans treatment court slots, cite eligibility and documentation barriers

David Kapner of the Legal Aid Society described veterans treatment courts as a promising alternative to incarceration because they pair veterans with peers, VA outreach coordinators and specialized supports. He told the committee the approach yields better outcomes but suffers from limited capacity and narrow eligibility rules that often exclude people with violent predicates even when the underlying problem is service-related trauma.

"Veterans court is special...There's, a lot of camaraderie," Kapner testified, urging the council to expand program slots and shorten the screening timelines that leave defendants waiting in jail while determinations are made. He also said that many prospective participants lack DD214 discharge paperwork; obtaining that document can take months and delay access to veterans-court programming. Committee members pressed DVS and DOC to enhance intake flags and cross-agency referrals so veterans are identified and routed to supports before custody-related interruptions.