Ceremony Set For Graduates Of Court Program Geared To Vets

MURRIETA, CA - Military veterans who successfully completed a Riverside County Superior Court program that provides alternatives to incarceration will be recognized Friday. Attendees of the Veterans Court will receive graduation certificates during an afternoon ceremony scheduled at the Riverside Historic Courthouse.

This is the court's sixth graduating class since the program began in January 2012.

Superior Court Judge Mark Mandio, who is based at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, oversees the Veterans Court, which is convened once a week.

The keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony will be Dr. Vito Imbasciani, secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Veterans Court program offers resources to veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or who have substance abuse issues or psychological problems stemming from their deployment to combat zones, or had experiences that left them scarred as children, according to court officials.

In exchange for having their cases heard in the Veterans Court, defendants have to plead guilty or consent to their probation being reinstated.

Felons and misdemeanants are eligible to participate. Instead of jail, they're placed in 12- to 18-month treatment programs that include group therapy, substance abuse counseling, alcohol monitoring and mental health services.

Participants must be available to make regular progress reports to the judge.

Agencies partnering in the effort include the District Attorney's Office, the Mental Health and Probation departments, the Office of the Public Defender, the Riverside Police Department and the U.S. Veterans Administration.

In 2012, the U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance awarded a $350,000 grant to help get the program started.

— By City News Service / Image via Shutterstock