INDIANAPOLIS — On average, 20 veterans are arrested each week in Marion County. The Indianapolis Veterans Court opened recently and aims to give veterans and current members of the military facing low-level criminal charges — many of whom suffer from mental health conditions, substance abuse issues, and other injuries — a rehabilitative judicial process that focuses on treatment with accountability.
The Indianapolis Veterans Court (IVC), a certified problem-solving court, is modeled after the nation-wide success of drug courts. Each defendant who participates in the IVC is assigned another veteran to serve as a mentor. Several agencies, including the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, the Marion Superior Court Probation Department, Community Corrections, and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, will work as a team to identify eligible veterans and provide them with rehabilitative services.
According to the VA, more than 124,000 veterans live in Central Indiana. Twelve other Veterans Courts have been established in Indiana, including in Porter, Floyd and Johnson counties, and more are in planning stages.
