November is National Military Family Appreciation Month, we celebrate our state’s Veteran Treatment Courts (VTC) supported by the Georgia Council of Accountability Court Judges. We asked judges across the state who preside over VTCs for success stories, below are the responses.
Fayette County
A recent graduate, David, entered our program broken with limited communication with his family. At graduation, his mother said, “I have my son back and I am extremely proud of the man standing in front of me.” After serving our country, David serves our community today as small business owner.
Cobb County
“The treatment team helped me work through my trauma and taught me the tools needed to work through the others. My family is completely back in my life again and our communication and trust is stronger than ever. My daughter has her father back and present in her life. I can finally sleep again, and I am a normal contributor to society. The accountability courts are great programs, and they saved my life.”
Henry County
Alcovy Judicial Circuit
In our Alcovy Veterans Treatment Court, we had an Army Veteran complete our program. He was resistant at first but after in-house treatment he soon trusted the process and excelled. A few months after his graduation, his wife wrote to me to say how thankful she was that the program in her words, “saved my husband, my marriage and my family. You saw the best in him when he couldn’t even see it. He has completely changed into a man I’d never thought I’d see in this life, and you are to thank for it.”
Gwinnett County
Appalachian Judicial Circuit
We accepted a US Marine in 2022 with an impressive resume, including being stationed at Camp David. This duty requires additional physical and psychological testing and a referral to presidential duty by the chain of command. However, due to some untreated mental health problems after he left the USMC, he was arrested for felonies. Through the Appalachian VTC, he got the appropriate help and accountability and took full advantage of his second chance. He will graduate from the Appalachian Veterans Court in November of 2024, and graduate with an MBA from Georgia Tech in December of 2024.
Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit
Mr. Durden entered our program with a purpose, to be the best example possible for his family. He has five children and three grandchildren, including a son in the Marines and a daughter in the Army. During his time with us, he transformed inside and out, from disheveled prose of anxiety to an immaculate poem of peace.
