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Men and women who serve in our military branches pay a cost to protect our freedoms that often continues long after their service ends. The Fort Bend County Veterans Court Program (FBCVCP) provides these service personnel the opportunity to successfully reintegrate into their Fort Bend community after facing legal entanglements in the criminal justice system.
The Fort Bend County Veterans Court Program provides judicially supervised treatment options for veterans currently facing prosecution for one or more criminal offenses. The program focuses on transferring veterans from the traditional criminal justice process and providing them with rehabilitative and reformative options. To enter the program, the veteran must been screened, assessed, and approved. Once that process is complete, the veteran will begin the treatment program tailored to his/her needs.
The mission of the Fort Bend County Veterans Court Program is to successfully rehabilitate veterans by diverting them from the traditional criminal justice system and provide them with the tools they need to lead a productive and law-abiding lifestyle while improving mental health recovery and successful re-entry into the community.
The program's goals are to identify eligible veterans, assess their needs, offer assistance, manage their care, and provide them with successful treatment options which support community reintegration and resolution of their criminal case(s).
The Honorable Judge Tyra Jones McCollum presides over the Veterans Court for both felony and misdemeanor offenses. Referrals to FBCVCP may be accepted from a variety of sources, including law enforcement, jail staff, judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, mental health professionals, and family or friends.
Those admitted to the court will receive pre-trial intervention, deferred adjudication, or community supervision disposition of their case. Veterans Court is a three-phase program. Each phase requires successful completion. The length of the program may be up to 24 months. The Fort Bend County Veterans Court Program will consist of a court docket that meets monthly.
The Veterans Court team is comprised of the judge, prosecutor(s), defense attorneys, a community supervision officer, case managers, and representatives from the Veterans Administration Medical Center. A unique feature of the Veterans Court team is the MEDVAMC Jail Diversion Team that includes a Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Coordinator/Court Liaison and a Forensic Psychiatrist.
The Jail Diversion Team will provide thorough evaluations which assess psychiatric, psychosocial, and substance abuse service needs. The FBCVC team links Veterans to appropriate treatment and rehabilitation services. The VJO Coordinator will coordinate and monitor treatment adherence while the psychiatrist will address psychiatric treatment needs. Together this treatment team will provide progress reports for the Veterans Court Team.
There is no fee to participate in the FBCVCP. However, the Veteran may be responsible for some costs of treatment services including, but not limited to drug urinalysis, substance use monitoring services, inpatient/outpatient treatment, counseling, etc. As many costs as possible are reduced or subsidized.
The Fort Bend County Veterans Court consists of three (3) phases totaling between six (6) and twenty-four (24) months. In addition to the phase requirements, the Presiding Judge reserves the right to set specific individual goals that must be accomplished between court appearances. The Veterans Court Community Supervision Officer will review all goals prior to all court appearances and make recommendations based on completion and success. The Veteran’s movement from phase to phase individually depends on time, successful completion of each phase's requirements, and team recommendations.
Failure to comply with treatment recommendations, Veterans Court program regulations, or the commission of a new offense may result in sanctions. Program infractions and sanctions can include, but are not limited to:
Incentives may be awarded by the Presiding Judge for compliance with the established treatment plan, the rules of the Veterans Court Program, the rules of the Fort Bend CSCD, and all other conditions or requirements associated with participation in the program. Incentives can include, but are not limited to:
Veterans Court mandates following a treatment plan, which will include some or all the following components (treatment recommendations may change as individual treatment needs change).
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FORT BEND COUNTY COURTS AT LAW AND DISTRICT COURTS ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO COURT SERVICES FOR LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENT (LEP) PERSONS. LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE AT NO COST TO ANY PERSON ASSOCIATED WITH A COURT PROCEEDING WHO HAS DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OR WHO NEEDS A DOCUMENT TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH.
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