The Fairfax County Veterans Treatment Docket:
- is a hybrid drug and mental health docket
- serves veterans with addiction and/or mental illness
- diverts veterans from the traditional criminal justice system
- places veterans in a specialized treatment program
Mission Statement:
In recognition of the toll on Veterans that accompanies military service, the mission of the Fairfax County Veterans Treatment Docket is to serve the community and increase public safety by integrating and incorporating a coordinated treatment response for justice-involved Veterans with substance abuse and/or mental health issues with the goal of returning productive, law-abiding citizens to the community, thereby reducing recidivism and criminal justice costs.
Some history:
- Nationally, there are over 200 Veterans Treatment Dockets.
- The first of these was formed in 2008 in Buffalo, New York, under the concept that treatment works better than a punitive approach.
Fairfax County is the first jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia to organize one of these treatment programs. Under development for over a year under the active leadership of Fairfax County Judge Penney S. Azcarate, the Veterans Treatment Docket held its first formal session on Thursday, February 12, 2015, at the Fairfax County Courthouse. During the first year, it is anticipated that around 25 veterans will be participants in the Veterans Treatment Docket.
