Three men are celebrating their completion of the Veterans’ Treatment Court program Monday, and a virtual ceremony was held in honor of their dedication and very hard work to get there.
Christian District Court Judge Foster Cotthoff is the presiding judge over the program, and he says he’s deeply impressed by the graduates—Steven L. Moody, Day Miller and James McClane—saying they each are a testament to the success of not only the program, but to their own strengths.
Moody was in the program for 77 weeks, and says that you can surprise yourself with what you’re capable of, but advised future participants to have patience with themselves, and stick to what you know you want—to be better.
Miller completed the program after 104 weeks, and says there were hiccups along the way to keep him there longer. He says this program is where he needed to be, and thanks to the help of the staff, he’s proud of who is now.
McClane claimed 128 hours in the program in which he would go from participating to leading in discussions, and says there were too many people to thank, but they have changed his life.
Judge Cotthoff says everyone may miss these men as they leave the program, but they could not be prouder of who they are and what they have accomplished—from when they first enlisted to serve this country and now.
The Veterans’ Treatment Court is designed to help veterans achieve stable mental health and recover from addiction. The program provides court-supervised treatment for veterans as an alternative to incarceration and supports them with services to address the issues that contributed to criminal behavior.