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For Immediate Release:
For Further Information:
November 9, 2011

Office of The Attorney General
- Paula T. Dow, Attorney General 
Media Inquiries-
Rachel Goemaat
609-292-4791

Citizen Inquiries-

609-292-4925
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Attorney General Announces Atlantic County Pilot Program to Provide Community-Based Services to Veterans & Active Duty Military Accused of Criminal Conduct
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MAYS LANDING – Attorney General Paula T. Dow today joined with federal, state and county officials on the eve of the Veterans Day holiday to launch a pilot program in Atlantic County aimed at identifying and providing community-based services to veterans and active duty military personnel who become involved in the criminal justice system.

Attorney General Dow announced that the two-year Veterans Pilot Initiative will provide community-based programs such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, anger management and family counseling to eligible veterans and active duty military personnel who become involved in the criminal justice system where the commission of the crime appears related to a substance abuse or mental health issue.

The program will offer eligible criminal defendants who are veterans and/or active duty military personnel with a substance abuse problem or mental health illness the opportunity to receive counseling or treatment under strict guidelines and in lieu of incarceration. Prosecutors will work closely with licensed treatment professionals in identifying viable participants and with both public and private defense counsel on plea agreements that ensure compliance with a treatment regimen.

“The collaboration among the agencies involved in this initiative reflects growing awareness of the strains our men and women in uniform experience when they return home from war,” Attorney General Dow said. “Unfortunately, this can result in drug or mental health issues that result in criminal activity. For those who serve in our armed forces, where we can, and where it is appropriate, the justice system should marshal its resources to help get them back on the right path.”

“I am proud that this initiative will be led by the men and women in Atlantic County for the next two years,” stated Atlantic County Prosecutor, Theodore F.L. Housel. “This office has always understood the issues facing veterans. Those of us who were Assistant Prosecutors in the late 1970’s and 1980’s vividly remember the Vietnam veterans who became involved with the criminal justice system because of experiences that occurred overseas. Like those individuals, the men and women who have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve our understanding and help. Combat-related trauma can have devastating effects on the physical and mental well-being of our soldiers for years following deployment; this program is designed to ameliorate some of those effects.”

Raymond L. Zwacki, the Deputy Commissioner for Veteran Affairs at the state Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, applauded the efforts in Atlantic County.

“Every Veteran is special. They are men and women who answered the call to defend this great nation,” Zwacki said. “Veterans who become involved in the criminal justice system deserve treatment that recognizes their sacrifices and also takes into account how stresses they endured during their time in uniform may have later led to their making unfortunate choices.”

As part of the program, if a person who is charged with committing a crime in Atlantic County is a veteran, a member of the reserve or active duty military personnel, he or she will be screened and evaluated by a licensed clinician from Jewish Family Services, a contracted service provider in Atlantic County.

The evaluation will be given to the prosecutor and defense counsel with a recommendation as to whether the person should be considered for services through the program. Plea agreements or diversion options will be made at the discretion of the prosecutor’s office; however, treatment conditions will be placed on any defendant in the program tailored to his or her needs and based on the recommendation of the service provider. Program participants will receive case management from JFS and, where requested, reports will be provided to the court on the status of the individual’s progress.

Attorney General Dow made the announcement at a press conference at the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. She was joined by representatives from United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, the New Jersey Department of Human Services, the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Office of the Public Defender, and the Atlantic County Bar Association, all of whom are participating in the program.

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