Veterans Courts, Are They in Jersey’s Future?

STONE HARBOR – Joseph Griffies, a 68-year-old Vietnam veteran, was one of the first to testify at a state hearing Dec. 4 at the Stone Harbor American Legion Post 331.
Griffies, angrily at times, chastised the state for not doing enough to help veterans, whom he called “young heroes,” deal with the return to civilian life. Griffies, a veterans advocate, wants the state to institute veterans courts where judges would consider the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and help veterans facing a variety of offenses get help rather than incarceration.
The hearing was one of three events aimed at allowing the state’s Veterans PTSD Task Force to gather testimony. Task force members heard information on the high rates of incarceration among returning veterans along with stories of substance abuse, broken marriages, and constant run-ins with law enforcement.
The task force was charged to “study how veterans diagnosed with PTSD are treated in judicial proceedings.”
The Stone Harbor hearing followed ones in Bergen and Ocean counties. Only three of the 11 members were in attendance to hear testimony locally. A report to the governor and legislature is due by May 2016.
New Jersey is home to over 400,000 veterans. While other areas of the state boast more veterans in absolute numbers, Cape May County has the highest percentage of the 18 and older population who are veterans.
As Griffies and others noted, New Jersey is not one of the 37 states that have established veterans courts.  This is only part of the problem, according to those giving testimony.
Dealing with how the judiciary treats veterans diagnosed with PTSD is important, but all too often veterans run into trouble before they can obtain a diagnosis.
One ex-Marine spoke of returning from Iraq in 2007 but not being diagnosed with PTSD until 2013.  By then his marriage was over and he had served time in prison. The availability of mental health programs for veterans capable of pinpointing PTSD where it exists is another important issue raised by veterans, especially in South Jersey where travel outside the state is often required to get to veterans health facilities.
Delays in gaining the diagnosis leads some to argue that veterans court benefits should be extended to all veterans, not just those with formal PTSD diagnoses.
Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak, (D-1st) a decorated Iraqi war veteran, stood in the back of the room with his young son. He heard repeated testimony that the state needs to catch up with what other states are doing for veterans.
“The time to act is long since passed,” was both one speaker’s statement and the theme of so many more. Andrzejczak was singled out for his staunch support for veterans’ issues.
With veterans disproportionately impacted by mental health problems upon return from service, advocates made both the moral and financial case for state action.
“Our prisons are not mental health facilities but we continue to use them as such,” one said. Early intervention, easier access to health care facilities, veterans courts and partnership programs with local law enforcement were all discussed.
Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton, attending an event at Post 331 just two days after the hearing, said that he would support veterans courts and that getting Veterans Affairs to put a health care facility in the southeastern part of the state was a battle he has been fighting for 25 years. “This is an issue for the judiciary,” he said, “but we on the freeholders would certainly support it.”
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.