Veterans' Treatment Court

OUR PURPOSE

In 2013, the 8^th Judicial District Court started Veterans Treatment Court in Cascade County. The program is for Veterans charged with a crime who have serious treatment issues that contributed to their involvement in the criminal justice system and are often related to their military experience. Based on the treatment court model, Veterans’ Treatment Court is an outpatient court-managed program, approximately 14-16 months long, which requires participants to obtain and complete treatment appropriate to their situation. Participants are carefully screened prior to admission and monitored, including drug testing, throughout the program.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Cascade County Veterans’ Treatment Court is to reduce crime, enhance public safety, save taxpayer costs, and enrich lives by facilitating sobriety, treating mental health conditions, improving social relationships, and promoting lifelong stability for veteran offenders.

Goals and Objectives

The goals of the Veterans’ Treatment Court (VTC) program are:

• To reduce post-graduation recidivism of VTC participants;
• To provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional incarceration and probation;
• To increase the personal, familial, and societal accountability of VTC participants;
• To ensure quality VTC policies and practices; 
• To enhance the safety of both the public and participants of VTC;
• Increase and enable access to appropriate health and behavioral health resources; and
• Improve the quality of life of the Veterans, helping them to become stable, employed and substance-free.

Eligibility

 VTC is a voluntary five-milestone program based on the following criteria:

• Must be 18 years or older;
• Must reside within Cascade County or must agree to move into the county upon acceptance;
• Was, or currently is, a member of the United States military, verified by a DD-214;
• May enter as a condition of a deferred or suspended sentence, on probation, on parole, or, in some cases, through pretrial diversion;
• Must have substance abuse, chemical dependency, and/or a mental health diagnosis;
• Must plead guilty to the charged offense with exception of pretrial diversion;
• Must be able to meet all program requirements;
• Must be treatable in the community.

How to get involved

Please contact the Veterans' Treatment Court Coordinator to receive more information about this program.

Denver Cobb

Veterans’ Treatment Court Coordinator

8^th Judicial District

215 1^st Ave North Room 217

Great Falls, MT

Phone: (406) 604-7602