Two veterans are celebrating their accomplishment and graduation from the Christian County Veteran’s Treatment Court program.
During a graduation ceremony Monday, Judge Foster Cotthoff congratulated both Randall Johnson and Charles Clary on their completion of the multi-month treatment program, saying that’s no small feat and they should be proud of what they have done.
Clary says the treatment court is a life-saving program, and the staff are dedicated to seeing veterans succeed.
Johnson says he thought he had everything under control, but by the time he realized he didn’t, he needed help—and the treatment program helped him get addicted to the clarity to make the right choices.
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.
Depending on the level of offenses depends on how long the minimum length of the treatment program is, as it is 15 months of misdemeanor cases or 18 months for felony cases. The program can take longer, depending on the participant and their circumstances. Judge Cotthoff says this program is different from drug and other treatment courses, because their participants have struggles that others may not have to face