Sedgwick County Veterans Treatment Court (18th Judicial District)
A voluntary five-phase, eighteen-month alternative to incarceration for Sedgwick County veterans with felony charges or probation violations, run from the Sedgwick County Courthouse with VA Veterans Justice Outreach support and volunteer veteran mentors.
Also called: veterans treatment court, VTC, Wichita, 18th Judicial District, mentor, drug court, probation.
The Sedgwick County Veterans Treatment Court's stated mission is to enhance public safety while restoring dignity and accountability for justice-involved veterans through innovative, comprehensive and collaborative community-based partnerships. It is a collaboration between the Office of Judicial Administration, the 18th Judicial District Court, the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office, the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, the Sedgwick County Department of Corrections, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department and the Kansas State Board of Indigents' Defense Services.
The programme. The VTC is a voluntary, structured, five-phase, eighteen-month programme in which participants attend treatment, meet regularly with their probation officer, regularly appear in court, abstain from drugs and alcohol, submit to regular drug testing and meet with their assigned mentor. On completing the fifth phase a veteran becomes eligible for graduation, receiving a certificate of successful completion, public recognition, and an order indicating all conditions of probation and the original sentence have been met. Every participant is assigned a volunteer veteran mentor. The court is the third district in Kansas to implement a veterans treatment court.
Who is eligible. A veteran who has served in the United States armed forces; is a resident of Sedgwick County; was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable; is charged with a felony offense or in violation of probation; is eligible for healthcare benefits from the VA; agrees to a term of up to eighteen months' probation or an extension; and agrees to work with a programme-provided veteran mentor.
How to enter. Tell the assistant district attorney or defense counsel, or the court services or intensive supervision officer, that the client is a veteran interested in the programme; complete the referral form and submit it to the VTC coordinator; healthcare eligibility is verified by the Veterans Justice Outreach coordinator; assessments determine risk, need and clinical need; the treatment court team reviews the case; the VTC judge decides acceptance. The steering committee meets the first Tuesday of every month, noon to 1:00 p.m., in Courtroom 11-1.
Contact. Mentor coordinator Julie Torske, 316-660-5669; court coordinator Saundra Haas, 316-660-4909; VA Veterans Justice Outreach coordinator Jeff Friedlander, 316-889-5352. The court sits at the Sedgwick County Courthouse, 525 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67203, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thresholds
Thresholds for Sedgwick County Veterans Treatment Court (18th Judicial District)
Gate
Rule
Veteran charged with a felony or in violation of probation
Eligibility requires service in the armed forces, Sedgwick County residence, a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable, a felony charge or probation violation, VA healthcare eligibility, and agreement to up to eighteen months of probation and to a mentor.
No dishonorable discharge
A discharge or release under conditions other than dishonorable is required; a dishonorable discharge is outside the programme.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.