Posted on Aug 31, 2017
SPEAKER 9/5/17
 
City Court Magistrate, Michael Pollard
 

 
 
Southern Arizona Justice for Veterans
 SAJV is a newly organized non-profit corporation with the purpose of raising funds to provide access to justice for Veterans, particularly those alleged to have committed misdemeanor offenses within the jurisdiction of the Regional Municipalities Veterans Treatment Court (RMVTC), which includes Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita, and South Tucson.   Under the leadership of a Viet Nam era Marine who now is a City Court Judge, Tucson City Court instituted a modified diversion program for misdemeanor offenders who are Veterans. The Court monitors their progress while providing them treatment needed to again become productive members of the community.
            At the time, the RMVTC was started, there were only 18 such Courts in the county, and the Tucson program was funded by grants from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service. There are now over 300 courts across the county. The federal resources are diminishing, and so SAJV was created to help fund services through the RMVTC . Money received will help the Court insure Veterans receive needed services such as substance abuse counseling, domestic violence classes, mental health treatment, anger management, and DUI classes.
            One can’t overstress the trauma some Veterans experience integrating into civilian society after the stress of sometimes multiple tours in the Middle East. This program helps some of those in need.
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