Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel presented the Key to the City on January 25, 2011 to Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge Wayne Trockman. Judge Trockman was recognized for his efforts in creating one of the first certified drug courts in the State of Indiana and in establishing the certification program through the Indiana Judicial Center.
“Judge Trockman was one of the judicial leaders in the initiative to establish both legislation and certification for drug courts and reentry courts,” said Mary Kay Hudson, Problem–Solving Court Administrator, Indiana Judicial Center.
After ten years of presiding over the Vanderburgh County Drug Court, Judge Trockman handed over the responsibilities to Vanderburgh Superior Court Judge David D. Kiely. Judge Trockman will continue to preside over the Forensic Diversion Court and the Re-entry Court.
Judge Kiely said: “Judge Trockman has set the standard on how a treatment court should be run. Courts across our country are using his model. I can’t replace Judge Trockman. I will work hard to possibly become his equal.”
Judge Kiely will serve as the Drug Court Judge and preside over the new Veteran’s Treatment Court, for which he has applied for certification with the Indiana Judicial Center. Judge Kiely indicated in a telephone interview that his court and the Veterans Administration will work together to ensure that veterans involved with the justice system receive all resources available to them. The closest VA Hospital to Vanderburgh County is located in Marion, Illinois, about 85 miles away. He reported that there will be a VA Justice Outreach (VJO) Specialist who will work with his court. There will also be a VA case worker assigned to the VA hospital in Marion who will be responsible for working with the veterans who qualify for his court’s treatment program.
The Veterans Affairs Health Care Network is divided into regions, known as Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISN). Within each VISN network are VA medical centers. As part of the VA’s Veteran Justice Outreach Initiative, every VA medical center has designated a Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist (VJO) who is responsible for coordinating outreach, assessment and case management for justice involved offenders. This outreach is extended to local law enforcement, jails and courts.
According to Judge Kiely, the court will take these steps to determine if an individual is eligible to participate in the program:
- identify and verify an individual’s veteran status;
- determine if a person is a non-violent offender; and
- secure an agreement to participate from the veteran defendant, the Prosecutor’s office and defense counsel.
Vanderburgh County Drug Court Director Debra Mowbray will assist in the process and also make an assessment that a veteran is qualified to participate. She said establishment of the Veterans Court will help meet the court’s goal of “helping anybody and everybody who has an addiction and who fits the requirements of our program.”
Marie M. Hulett, Health Systems Specialist, VA Heartland Network in Columbia, Missouri has been a tremendous help according to Judge Kiely. She was in attendance at the January 25 ceremony honoring Judge Trockman and recognizing Judge Kiely. According to Hulett the work of the courts and the VA for veterans is straight-forward: “It’s giving them the quality of life back that they deserve.”
The Evansville Press had a strong editorial in support of this effort in its January 21, 2011 edition:
“Evansville is a city full of military veterans. Census data tells us that veterans make up 14 percent of the city’s population (the national average is 12.7 percent), but we didn’t need official statistics to let us know the city has a significant number of veterans. This is, after all, the home of numerous veterans organizations and events, as well as the LST (Landing Ship, Tank) 325 and a new veterans clinic.
Veterans have a strong and respected presence in our community, but alas, some of them run into trouble with the law due to substance abuse.
Indeed, according to a Sunday article by Courier & Press staff writer Mark Wilson, a 2009 report by the Drug Policy Alliance found that roughly 200,000 veterans nationally are estimated to be in prison or in jail because of substance abuse or mental illness.
But the fact that the ones here got into trouble in Vanderburgh County may, in the long run, prove a blessing. Vanderburgh County has been highly successful in helping substance abusers and others get clean through one of several Superior Court programs launched by Judge Wayne Trockman.”